I Promise
by xFallenSkyx
Summary: Promises are meant to keep, although Wolfpaw may be in over his head when he promises a dying mother he's never met before to take in and protect the newly-born kit, which is the spitting image of the Clan's biggest enemy. This kit could either be a blessing or a curse, and it would be Wolfpaw's fault. Special thanks to 574y 901d my 10v35 for the new summary.
1. Allegiances and Prologue

**Special thanks to Ponyiowa, who helped improve this prologue greatly! She rewrote it for me, changing any mistakes and adding in much needed detail(The original was pretty bad... XP).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors**

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Allegiances

_**Thunderclan **_

Leader**:**** Willowstar**- gray she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: **Eagletalon**- large brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat: **Hazelpool**- Pretty white she-cat with bright hazel eyes

Warriors: **Amberheart**- young golden she-cat with amber eyes

**Petalfrost**- cream colored she-cat with blue eyes

**Bramblethorn**- brown tom with amber eyes

**Sparrowflight**- golden-brown tom with green eyes

(**Apprentice, Cinderpaw**- dark gray she-cat with deep blue eyes)

**Snakestripe**: tall gray tom with black stripes, yellow eyes

**Lionstep**- muscular golden tom with amber eyes

**( Apprentice, Wolfpaw**- fluffy gray tom with darker paws, tail

and ears and bright yellow eyes)

**Dawnshine**- Pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Foxtooth**- Dark ginger tom with green eyes

Queens: **Bluefrost:** slender blue-gray she-cat with gray eyes ( Mother to lark-kit, a brown she-kit with white chest and paws and green eyes, Hollykit, a jet black she-kit with gray eyes, and sagekit, a tom with a fiery red pelt and green eyes)

**Mosseyes:** Calico she-cat with green eyes( Mother to Tigerkit, a dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes)

Elders**:**** Pinepelt**: old brown and white tom

** Stoneshade**: silver she-cat with darker flecks and yellow eyes

_**Shadowclan**_

Leader**:**** Darkstar**-jet black tom with brown eyes

Deputy: **Ravenflight**- black and white she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine Cat: **Oakleaf**- brown tom with green eyes

(**Apprentice, Brightpaw**- calico she-cat with green eyes)

Warriors: **Jaggedrock**- brown tom with darker flecks and muddy brown eyes

**Squirrel-leap**- brown and white she-cat with brown eyes

**Sundapple**- pretty dappled tortoiseshell and white she-cat

**Kestrelwing**- Dark brown tom with amber eyes

**Rabbitdash**- small brown and black tom with amber eyes

**Lilypetal**- cream color she-cat with green eyes

**Toadleap**- black and white tom with yellow eyes

(**Apprentice, Flamepaw**- fiery red tom with green eyes)

Queens**:**** Birdfoot**- gray and white she-cat with ice blue eyes(Mother to ivykit, silver tabby she-kit with blue eyes, Dusk-kit, dark gray tabby tom with gray eyes, and Softkit, white she-kit with blue eyes)

**Silverstripe**- White she-cat with silver stripes and hazel eyes(Mother to Leopardkit- white tom with unusual pale gray markings and

hazel eyes)

Elders: **Loudstep**- old black and white tom with green eyes

**Noear**- brown she-cat with amber eyes and a missing ear

_**Riverclan**_

Leader**:**** Boulderstar**- large gray tom with gray eyes

Deputy: **Sunblaze**- flame colored tom with amber eyes

(**Apprentice, Yellowpaw**- golden tabby she-cat with gold eyes)

Medicine Cat: **Pebbleshine:** small silver she-cat with green eyes

Warriors: **Graycloud**- silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Badgerclaw-**muscular black tom with amber eyes

**Goldensand**- golden tabby she-cat with gold eyes

(**Apprentice, Blackpaw**- White tom with a black paw and yellow eyes)

**Mistyfur**- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with bright amber eyes

**Dovefeather-** silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

**Olive-eyes**- jet black tom with olive eyes

(**Apprentice, Dustpaw**- dusty brown tom with muddy brown eyes)

**Scorchpelt**- fiery red tom with dark amber eyes

Queens: **Berryfur**- dark cream colored she-cat with green eyes( Mother to Flowerkit, cream colored she-kit with green eyes)

**Applenose**- ginger she-cat with amber eyes( Mother to ferretkit, ginger tom with amber eyes, and Starlingkit, brown tom with muddy brown eyes)

Elders: **Cedarpelt**- dark gray tom with blue eyes

**Reedclaw**- old black tom with amber eyes

**Shellheart-** Ginger she-cat with green eyes

_**Windclan**_

Leader**:**** Breezestar**- small white and gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: **Smokescar:** scarred black tom with amber eyes

Medicine cat: **Snowfeather:** lithe white she-cat with green eyes

Warriors: **Ratbite**- brown and black tom with amber eyes

**Ashpelt**- Dusty gray tom with gray eyes

**Crowflight**- jet black tom with blue eyes

(**Apprentice, Mousepaw**- Small brown tabby she-cat with green eyes)

**Echobounce**- soft brown she-cat with muddy brown eyes

**Emberwhisker-** Dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes

(**Apprentice, Snowpaw**- pure white she-cat with green eyes)

**Swallow-wing**- brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Shrewclaw-**small gray and black she-cat

**Smallfire**- little red tom with dark amber eyes

Queens: **Silentwhisper**: Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes( Mother to Icekit, blue-gray she-kit with ice blue eyes, and Frostkit, blue-gray she-kit with bright blue eyes)

Elders: **Short-tail**- brown tom with a stumpy tail

**Bluewater**- blue she-cat with gray eyes

* * *

Moonlight swept through the stone hollow of the ThunderClan camp, swathing the rock walls with a soft white glow. All was silent except the quiet stir of leaves in the breeze. In the middle of camp sat a restless apprentice. He had barely been made one earlier that day, and he had his mind set on exploring the new areas. While everyone was asleep, yes, but he would be quiet, so no harm done.

Wolfpaw, the apprentice, had always been an energetic young cat. He was also loyal and stuck to his word. The young apprentice was fluffy and gray. His paws, tail, and ears were slightly darker in color.

Hungry, Wolfpaw stood and silently headed to the camp's exit, framed with bramble vine that occasionally, but soundlessly, fluttered with the wind. His pawsteps were as soundless as the swaying vines. Upon noticing Snakestripe on guard, he changed directions and stalked into the dirt place. A satisfied smirk crossed his face as he spotted the familiar hole leading out of camp. He and his sister, Cinderpaw, had discovered it as kits. Wolfpaw quickly squeezed through it, reassuring himself that it would be better for him to catch prey from the ThunderClan territory than deplete the pile in the camp.

Lifting his head high and swiveling his ears to catch any sounds, he padded toward the abandoned Twoleg den. He heard that it was rich with prey. But when he arrived, he was surprised by a strange new scent. He hadn't thought anyone would be out here. Was it an intruder from ShadowClan? It certainly didn't smell like any prey he had ever scented before. But he could smell milk. Looking around, he spotted a ginger she-cat. This cat's frail body was curled around something.

_A kit,_ Wolfpaw guessed as he walked to the cat. From what he could see, the tiny kit had a sleek black pelt. She was a tiny little thing, nestled into the curve of the stranger's emaciated belly. Wolfpaw blinked in surprise when he heard the ginger she-cat mutter out something weakly, but whatever she had said, she had said it so softly that it was inaudible.

"Just wait here. I'll be back with our medicine cat so she can..." he started but was interrupted when the she-cat spoke up, more loudly this time. He went closer so that he could catch her words.

"It's too late for me," she rasped. "Please, take my kit."

When Wolfpaw nodded, she continued, "Will you make me a promise..." She paused for a short moment to take a deep breath. "A promise to always protect her?"

Wolfpaw didn't need to think much about this question. Of course he'd protect the kit. He'd protect any cat in need of it. _I'll agree,_ he thought. And whatever came of this quick-made decision, he was determined to shoulder it and keep his word.

"I promise."

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**Again, Thanks to Ponyiowa! I'll probably try to rewrite some of the other chapters(the earliest ones especially) because I feel like they could be better. That is, when I have time to. :3**


	2. Adventure Gone Wrong

**dalek bob- Thank you for reviewing! You have no idea how excited I was to see my story got a review! Hope you like this chapter. :)**

**Ashheart15- I'm glad you like it! Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out :p Though, you will probably be able to figure it out in this chapter.**

Stories were things that never vanished. They were passed on to generation after generation, and every warrior knew them so vividly. It was as if they had been there and seen them themselves. Whether it was stories of great saviors, journeys or enemies, they were known.

** Bluefrost's P.O.V**

I was lying down in the nursery when she was brought to me. My three kits, two she-kits and a tom, kneaded their small paws against my stomach as they drank. They were about a half-moon old now and were strong, healthy kits. I had named the she-kits Lark-kit and Hollykit. Lark-kit was brown and white, while Hollykit was jet black in color. The tom, Sagekit, was a fiery red color.

I glanced up when I heard paw steps approaching the nursery. It was late at night, so I was surprised any cat would be walking around. A fluffy gray head poked into the nursery. It's yellow eyes shining in the darkness and immediately I knew it was Wolfpaw. A small bundle of fur hung from his jaws.

"Willowstar has agreed to let her stay." Wolfpaw explained as he set the kit down on the nursery floor. He then turned and padded away, casting a quick glance back at me and the kit.

I examined the kit. It was beautiful in my opinion, as any other kit was. It was a she-kit with jet black fur everywhere except on her right, front paw. Her eyes were a pale, icy blue. She wasn't much younger than my own kits, but she was smaller.

I agreed to take the young kit on as my own. The only other queen was Mosseyes, but her kit, Tigerkit, was almost an apprentice. She would be returning to her warrior duties soon and I didn't want to stall her stay in the nursery for another whole six moons. Besides, one extra kit couldn't be much of a problem.

My ears twitched as I heard the angry voice of one of our elders, Pinepelt, outside. When another voice sounded, I noticed he was speaking to Willowstar. My curiosity led me to listen in on them.

"Willowstar, you can't seriously let that kit stay. It's cursed!" Pinepelt rasped angrily.

"I can and _she_ will. I respect your opinion, Pinepelt, but this is only a kit. We will not turn down a kit in need just because of her appearance." Willowstar replied, flicking her tail dismissively.

"Very well, but this kit doesn't just look like any cat. You know, as well as me, that this kit looks exactly as he did. It will not be held against me if your decision to help this kit causes our clan problems." The old tom said before heading back to his den.

**Time Skip (about five moons)**

"I'm so bored." Hollykit sighed as she tapped a bird's feather that had landed in front of her. It was a cold, leafbare day, and Bluefrost wouldn't allow her kits to play far outside. She was worried they would catch an illness.

"Let's go out and explore when Bluefrost isn't looking." Replied a black she-kit who had one white paw. Her tail was flicking excitedly, but she managed to keep her voice down.

"I don't know if that's a good idea... What if Bluefrost finds out we left?" Hollykit questioned as she shuffled her paws against the snow covered ground.

"Well I think Nightkit is right. We should go before I die of boredom staying here." Sagekit said as he walked over to them. Lark-kit just nodded her brown head in agreement.

When Hollykit had finally agreed with them to go, they silently snuck away from the nursery. Everyone was too busy to notice the four kits. Leafbare was a hard time for all clans, and fresh-kill was low. Willowstar was sending out extra patrols for hunting in hope to catch any prey around.

The four kits managed to escape out of camp without being noticed. They all had snow covering their fur, and helping them blend in. They headed straight away from camp.

"It's so big." Lark-kit breathed out in amazement at the vast territory.

"I know! Let's try to catch some prey. Then Willowstar will be so proud she'll have to make us apprentices early!" Sagekit explained his idea. A wide grin on his face.

Nightkit lifted her head taking in a deep breath. Her jaws parted slightly like Wolfpaw had taught her. Wolfpaw was a good friend of hers. He would visit the nursery all the time and even give her prey he caught on his own. They would play tag together, and he would teach her hunting and fighting techniques.

"I smell a mouse!" Nightkit announced as she pointed her nose toward where the smell was coming from.

"Me too!" Hollykit agreed and raced off toward it. The Three other kits dashed off after her in attempt to keep up. Hollykit had always been the fastest out of the kits.

A loud screech sounded causing Nightkit's black fur to stand on end. It was easy to recognize it came from Hollykit. Nightkit's eyes widened when she and the other two kits came to a stop. Only a mouse-length in front of them was a young fox. It was obviously not full grown but much bigger than the kits. It's teeth sank into Hollykit's scruff. The she-kit was thrashing around in attempt to get free, but she had no luck.

Nightkit felt glued in place until Hollykit let out another screech of pain. With a jolt, she leapt forward at the fox raking her small, curved claws across its nose. The fox growled at Nightkit and dropped Hollykit to the ground. It advanced on Nightkit as the two other kits raced to their sister, who was lying limply in the snow.

Nightkit's ice blue eyes were wide in fear. She knew she wouldn't have a chance. She backed up further, claws digging in the ground in fear as she felt herself pressing against a tree. Her eyes closed, bracing herself for a bite of those sharp fangs, but they never came.

Her eyes flashed open to see Sagekit swinging from the fox's bushy tail. It was growling in frustration and snapped it's jaws at Sagekit, ready to throw the kit off. Nightkit immediately charged forward biting her small teeth down on the fox's front paw. The Fox's attention turned to Nightkit once again, but before it could do anything else, a flash of gray shot out of the bushes and slammed into the fox's side.

_Wolfpaw! _Nightkit thought with relief as the fox staggered back, eyes on the gray cat. He dashed under the fox clawing its belly earning a yelp of pain. The young fox snapped at Wolfpaw, but it was too slow. Frustrated and hurt the fox pelted off quickly.

"That was amazing! Thanks Wolfpaw. If you didn't come..." Nightkit's voice trailed off and she looked at her paws.

"It was only a fox pup. I'd protect you kits with my life as any cat would do. Now, is anyone hurt?" Wolfpaw asked and turned to see Lark-kit and Sagekit hovering over Hollykit, who was lying silently on the ground. Wolfpaw quickly padded over, pressing his nose against the limp she-kit. When he looked up, his yellow eyes were filled with grief.

"I'm... sorry kits. She's with Starclan now." Wolfpaw mewed gently and picked up the limp she-kit softly. The fluffy gray apprentice headed back to camp. The three kits stayed near him. Their eyes filled with grief, tails dragging and heads lowered.

**Nightkit's P.O.V**

When we entered camp, it was obvious the clan had noticed our absence. Bluefrost's eyes were wide as the moon and her blue-gray pelt was sticking out at all angles. When she spotted us, she immediately raced over. I could see relief clear in her eyes, until her gaze turned to Wolfpaw with Hollykit in his jaws.

"Hollykit... oh Starclan no..." Bluefrost's voice was no more than a quiet whisper. Her usual bright gray eyes were clouded in grief. I couldn't help but feel guilt pricking at my paws. If I had never suggested on leaving, this wouldn't had happened.

I watched in silence as Bluefrost lied down, pressing her nose into Hollykit's fur. Lark-kit and Sagekit soon joined her. My paws stayed frozen in place. I couldn't help but feel as if it was all my fault.

"I told you she was a curse." I heard Pinepelt growl. His glare was directed on me when he spoke to Willowstar. He was giving me _that_ look. That look I had always gotten from him since I could remember. It was different this time though.

My icy blue eyes gazed around camp and that's when I noticed he wasn't the only one. Stoneshade, Bramblethorn and even Foxtooth, my father. They were all giving me that cold, hate filled look. I couldn't help but tremble as I turned to Bluefrost. Her nose was still buried in Hollykit's fur, and I wondered if she wasn't mourning if she would give me the same look.

_What does he mean by curse? What did I do? Why are they looking at me like that? _A million questions shot through my head making it ache in pain. I couldn't take it. I couldn't take it anymore.

I turned and dashed back out of camp. My blue eyes were wide and I'm sure my usual sleek black pelt was ruffled. My one white paw seemed to blend in the snow, with every stride. I had no idea where I was headed, but I didn't care either.


	3. The Mountains?

**Suntalon1010101- Thank you for reviewing! I'll be sure to keep writing until I finish this story!**

**Ashheart15- I'm proud of you for figuring it out. You'll find out if or what she has to do with scourge eventually!**

**dalek bob- Thanks! *Grabs cookies and hides them in secret stash.* I know, poor Hollykit, but she had to die to move the plot forward! Well, I'm happy you like my writing!**

**Nightkit's P.O.V**

I was no more than a flash of black fur as I raced away from camp. I didn't dare look back in fear I was being followed. I was growing tired from what seemed like endless hours of running, but I doubted it had been that long. I was panting now, and my paws felt heavy in exhaustion. I wouldn't be able to keep my pace much longer.

I stumbled over my own paws and landed in a pile of snow. Standing, I shook the snow that covered my black fur sending it flying into the air. I sat down for a rest and watched as the snowflakes gently traveled to the ground. They seemed to shine under the bright sun.

"What are you doing here, Kit?" An unfamiliar voice asked making me jump. I quickly staggered to my paws, and I sent glances in all directions around me to find out who had spoke.

"Who's there?" I questioned, ignoring what had been asked to me first. My black fur was bristling in fear and annoyance. My icy blue eyes turned to narrow slits.

"Me. I'm Leopardpaw. Now, will you tell me what you're doing on Shadowclan territory?" A white cat with strange pale gray markings landed in front of me. I guessed he had been watching me from one of the many pine trees. My eyes widened as he spoke. Had I really crossed the border? I didn't even realize it.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't n-notice I crossed." I tried my best to keep my voice calm but it wavered slightly. I was worried because not only did I cross a border, I crossed the Shadowclan border. From what I heard, Shadowclan cats were the most hostile of all the clans.

"It's fine, Kit. I won't hurt you, so stop looking so scared. What brings you so far from your camp?" He said while eyeing me curiously now. I gulped wondering if I should make up some story. Maybe a story about getting lost. I raked through my mind for any ideas but found none.

"I-I left. Something bad happened and I was frightened and left." I mewed. I was now trembling against the ground at the memory of the fox hurting Hollykit. He opened his mouth, probably to ask what had happened, but upon seeing the grief shining in my eyes, he decided not to. Instead, he said something that surprised me.

"Running away doesn't solve anything." He mewed gently. He looked at me with knowing, hazel eyes. My ears flattened as I thought about it. It didn't really change anything. No matter how far I ran, I still felt the guilt and grief of my sister's death.

My claws dug in the ground, and I growled, "But you don't understand! My clan! They hardly want me there. Many of them look at me as if I..."

"Don't belong." Leopardpaw finished my sentence. My icy blue eyes were wide at this causing him to laugh softly. He noticed I was too shocked to say anything else. Blinking his hazel eyes, he decided to explain.

"You're not the only one who has felt like they haven't belonged. I was born a kittypet. As you probably know, Shadowclan isn't one to take in cats that aren't clan born. I was lucky enough my former leader, Fernstar, let me stay. She was a kind, gentle cat, and even though most of the clan didn't agree, she allowed me a place in her clan."

The white, gray spotted tom paused for a moment to take in a deep breath. He looked over at me with his hazel eyes to find me listening intently. My ice blue eyes were wide and interested. My black and white fur was laying flat and relaxed. When I remained silent, he continued.

"When Fernstar lost her last life and Darkstar took over, I never thought I would be able to stay in the clan. Darkstar looked at me like I was some soft and weak cat, so I had to prove him wrong. I was only a new apprentice when we had a battle with Riverclan. I fought my hardest and beat two more experienced apprentices." He was grinning widely now. Obviously, he proud of his fighter.

"So, you're saying I should go back?" I asked in a small voice. I was nervous to return back to camp. I wondered if they actually even cared that I left. But, if Leopardpaw was right, maybe I could prove that I belong in Thunderclan. Maybe, I could show them that I'm not some 'curse'.

"Yes. Don't worry it might take time, Kit. I'm still proving that I can be a worthy warrior of my clan." He flashed me a gentle smile. Despite how cold I was from sitting in the snow, I felt warm inside. It felt like so much of a relief that I wasn't alone. That I wasn't the only one.

He stood, flicking his tail in goodbye and padded away. I turned back the way I had ran and walked back. I casted a glance behind me seeing him still in view, and I yelled out to him, "My names not Kit. It's Nightkit!"

**Meanwhile, Wolfpaw's P.O.V**

The clan was in turmoil. Just about every cat was arguing after hearing Pinepelt's accusation of Nightkit being a curse. A few agreed and others called it nonsense. Everyone except the kits knew about Nightkit's resemblance to that blood thirsty cat from the stories of our ancestors, but that didn't mean he had anything to do with Nightkit. Pinepelt was an old cat. I doubted he even knew what he was talking about.

When I spotted Pinepelt heading over to the camp's exit I immediately dashed over. I slid in front of him narrowing my yellow eyes suspiciously. Holding back a growl I asked, "Where are you going?"

He ignored my question and tried to push passed me. His teeth were bared in a growl now and he spat, "Out of my way." I was barely able to keep my fur flat. I had a pretty good idea of what he was going after.

"Stay away from Nightkit." I mewed strongly, managing to keep my voice calm. I wasn't about to let him pass. I was determined to protect the young kit. I wouldn't have some mouse-brained elder hurt her because of some untrustworthy thought.

"If you don't get out of my way..." His rasp was cut off by Willowstar's yowl. It rang through the clearing, silencing every cat. The gray she-cat was standing on the Highledge. Her head was raised up high as she spoke.

"Enough! This is nonsense! We lost a precious kit today, and you all are bickering. I want Bluefrost and her kits to be allowed to mourn in peace. As for Nightkit, I will send a patrol out to look for her. Losing a sibling is hard, so we can only guess she ran off because she was upset." Willowstar explained before flicking her tail and walking down from the Highledge.

I breathed out a sigh of relief as Pinepelt turned and headed back into the elder's den. His tail was lashing, and he was grumbling under his breath. It was obvious that he was upset with what Willowstar had said. While Willowstar was arranging the patrol, my ears twitched at some noise.

I peered out the exit to see Nightkit. All her fur, except on her paw, stood out greatly against the pure white snow. As she neared, I noticed she was shivering. I quickly padded out to her, and she stopped when seeing me.

"Are you alright?" I asked in a worried tone. My tongue lapped away the snow on her fur as I tried to warm the kit. I felt her struggle slightly.

"I'm fine." She insisted. Her icy blue eyes shone with determination though I could still see she was upset. I nodded my head, watching as she stalked back into camp. I followed after her. She crouched down beside the body of Hollykit, where Bluefrost and her kits still laid.

My yellow gaze traveled around camp. It seemed everything had gone back to normal. Willowstar was organizing patrols again after realizing Nightkit returned. My eyes narrowed when I locked gazes with Pinepelt. His glare was cold and filled with disgust. I felt my gray fur start to lift and I had to force it to say down. I had a bad feeling Pinepelt wouldn't be letting go of what he believed.

**Third Person P.O.V**

It was late at night when Bluefrost finally left Hollykit's body. Her three tired kits followed after her. She lied down curling her body around the kits. They were shivering from the cold and maybe from fear of the events that happened earlier.

Bluefrost's ears perked forward when she saw her mate, Foxtooth, enter the den. She had expected to see a soft, grief filled gaze, but instead, his gaze was cold. It made her shudder.

"That is not my kit. Pinepelt is right. It's cursed. It caused _my_ kit to die!" He hissed at Bluefrost. Her gray eyes went wide as she saw her mate's glare on Nightkit. _Was he really believing that nonsense now too?_

"That's ridiculous! She's just a kit!" She replied through gritted teeth. She had enough of that pointless ranting about Nightkit being cursed. Foxtooth didn't say anything else. He just turned and left back to the warrior's den.

The blue-gray she-cat let out a quiet sigh and shook her head. As much as she didn't want to believe that mouse-brained idea, she couldn't help but feel some fear. _Could it be true? Was it possible that Nightkit was a curse, or did she have more than just a similar appearance to him?_ As much as she didn't want to believe it, She was feeling more uncertain each day.

**Nightkit's P.O.V**

All four of us entered the nursery and immediately lied down. I was exhausted to the point where I felt I could fall asleep on my paws. Lark-kit and Sagekit were deep in sleep almost the moment after our mother curled her warm body around us. I, however, was having a harder time sleeping despite how tired I felt. I cracked my eye open slightly when I heard the voice of my father. I felt myself melt inside at what he said.

"That is not my kit. Pinepelt is right. It's cursed. It caused _my_ kit to die!" He spat out. I felt his glare bore down on me. I quickly flattened my ears to block out the sound of their voices._ Could he really believe what Pinepelt said? What do they even mean? _

It felt like only seconds after falling asleep I woke up. I blinked my eyes open, but to my surprise, I didn't see the familiar scene of the nursery. I was standing high up on a ledge. A gentle breeze ruffled my fur as I gazed over the edge. This was higher up than I had ever seen.

"The mountains hold answers to your questions." The wind seemed to whisper. It kept repeating the same sentence until it echoed through my head. _The mountains?_ I pondered in confusion.

**How was it? Also, i need warrior names for Wolfpaw and his sister, cinderpaw. If you have any suggestions please tell me!**


	4. New Apprentices

**So, This update was slightly later than usual (It was my grandma's birthday, so I didn't have any time to write.) But, hey! a day later isn't bad!**

**Patty Hillard**-Thanks! I like the name Wolfheart. Everyone seems to agree that it fits him, so I'm going to use it.

**Marshstar**- Thank you for reviewing! I'm happy you like it!

**MatsuriWolfsong**- Thanks for the review! I like how you thought about Wolfpaw's personality when thinking of a name.

**Ashheart15**- Yep, gotta have a prophecy to send them on a little adventure. I love the name Cinderstreak! I'm going to use it. :)

**Nightkit's P.O.V**

About a moon had passed since Hollykit was killed by a fox. Bluefrost just wasn't the same anymore. She was slower, and her usual beautiful, blue-gray fur seemed dull and unkempt. Wolfpaw, now Wolfheart, had told me that she was just grieving and to give her time, but I never thought it could take this long. It looked like she would never go back to how she was before.

I was glad to have Wolfheart around. He always found ways to cheer me up, while keeping up with his new duties as a warrior. He had only become one a half-moon ago, but he was already extremely determined to work the best he could. I admired him for that. It made me want to train even harder as an apprentice.

**Wolfheart's P.O.V**

I had just returned from a hunting patrol when Willowstar called me into her den. Her mew wasn't urgent, but I couldn't help but feel some worry. _What did Willowstar need from me? _I set my fresh-kill in the pile quickly and padded to Willowstar's den. I could see my sister, Cinderstreak, casting me a concerned glance from across the clearing.

"Yes, Willowstar? I asked as I walked into the den and sat down. My yellow eyes gazed over her as I tried to determine what she was thinking. There was no hint of anger in her eyes, to my relief. Her expression actually looked thoughtful.

"I would like for you to be Nightkit's mentor." She answered, to my surprise. My yellow eyes widened slightly.

"But Willowstar, I only became a warrior less than a moon ago! Surely there are more experienced warriors available?" I questioned. It's not that I didn't want to be Nightkit's mentor. I had already taught her a few techniques on my spare time. It just didn't make sense to make someone who was barely a warrior, a mentor.

"There are, but none of them with as much experience as you have with Nightkit. Many of the warriors are starting to believe Pinepelt's accusations. I don't want any problems to occur, so I find it safer to make someone, who I know doesn't agree with it, her mentor. I trust you, Wolfheart,"

I nodded my head slowly as she spoke. What she said did make sense. After the death of Bluefrost's kit, some of the warriors agreed with Pinepelt. If Willowstar happened to pick a warrior who was against Nightkit, It could cause huge problems. The thought of having an apprentice wasn't bad either.

"Alright. I would be honored to mentor Nightkit." I mewed respectfully. I had to hold back the excitement that pricked at my paws. I couldn't wait to start training, and I was determined to pass what skills I knew to my apprentice.

Willowstar flicked her tail dismissively, and I stood and exited her den. I headed toward the nursery to see what the kits were up to right now. When my sister noticed I was done talking to Willowstar, she dashed over. Sliding in front of me, she asked the question that must have been on her mind for a while.

"What did Willowstar want?" She wondered, eyeing me curiously. I Shrugged my gray shoulders before replying.

"She asked me to be Nightkit's mentor." I saw jealousy flash in Cinderstreak's eyes, but she kept a happy expression.

"That's great! I can't wait till I get one!" The gray she-cat replied cheerfully. I smiled at her in thanks. I was happy to see it didn't bother her too much. I knew she was probably surprised that I got an apprentice. It was something she obviously wasn't expecting, but then again, I wasn't either.

"Willowstar knows what a great cat you are. I'm sure you'll get one in no time." I purred, giving her an affectionate nudge. She seemed satisfied and nodded with a grin. She then stepped out of my way and padded off.

I continued to the nursery and looked inside. Bluefrost was resting, while Sagekit and Nightkit tossed a ball of moss to each other. I noticed Lark-kit wasn't around. I pricked my ears forward and glanced toward the Medicine den, hearing her voice. Since the death of her sister, I noticed the brown she-kit had been hanging out with Hazelpool during most of her time.

When Nightkit spotted me, she chirped happily, "Wolfheart! Will you play a game with us?"

"It will be really fun!" Sagekit added in. Both the kits looked up at me hopefully and I shrugged my shoulders. I felt bad declining. Anyway, I had some time to spare.

"Alright, but you know I'll win at any game!" I insisted enthusiastically. I leapt forward, gripping the ball of moss in my curved claws easily, and I tossed it to Nightkit. It flew swiftly through the air. Nightkit jumped up, barely missing the moss ball as it swished passed her. It hit Bluefrost in the head causing her to jump to her paws in shock. Both kits stifled a giggle as they looked at the blue-gray she-cat. I shifted my paws in embarrassment.

"Since when did another kit enter the nursery?" Bluefrost let out a rusty purr. She had amusement shining in her eyes. I blinked at her in apology, but was glad to see her happy for once. The death of Hollykit really hit her hard.

"Well, I better get going now." I turned to leave and walked out. My ears perked forward when I heard Willowstar's yowl for a clan meeting. I watched as the two excited kits bounded out of the den followed by Bluefrost. Lark-kit soon joined them.

**Third Person P.O.V**

The three kits padded forward when Willowstar beckoned them with her tail. Before she could continue with the ceremony, Lark-kit decided to speak. She gazed around the clan awkwardly and shifted her paws.

"Willowstar, I would like to be Hazelpool's apprentice. I wish to train as a medicine cat." Her gaze rested on Willowstar as she waiting. Willowstar glanced over at Hazelpool, who was sitting not far from High-ledge. Hazelpool gave a nod of agreement, and Willowstar flicked her tail, approving.

Hazelpool walked forward until she was standing in front of the clan. She raised her head and mewed, "Cats of Thunderclan, as you know, I will not be around forever. It is time I took on an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown great determination to care for her clan. Your Next medicine cat will be, Larkpaw."

Larkpaw's new name was chanted out after she touched noses with the medicine cat. Willowstar then turned to Sagekit and Nightkit who were gazing at her expectantly. She let out a soft purr and resumed their apprentice ceremony.

"Sagekit and Nightkit, you both have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you two to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Sagepaw and Nightpaw. Sagepaw, your mentor will be Petalfrost. Nightpaw, your mentor will be Wolfheart. I hope they pass down all they know to you both."

Sagepaw touched noses with the cream colored she-cat, while Nightpaw did the same with Wolfheart. Their names were called out through the clearing, though some seemed hesitant at shouting out Nightpaw's new name. The noise soon died down and everyone went back to their normal duties. Nightpaw hurried over to Wolfheart.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

Wolfheart was my mentor! I couldn't believe it! As much as I wished he would be my mentor, I didn't believe he would have. He was a new warrior, so I never expected he could. I quivered in excitement at the thought of actually exploring the territory with my good friend.

"I'm going to show you the borders. We'll start with Windclan." Wolfheart purred upon seeing how excited I was. I immediately turned and bounded to the exit. Wolfheart hurried after me. I couldn't wait to see it.

When we got out of camp, Wolfheart charged forward. He was running the opposite way that the other kits and I had gone when we snuck out of camp. I swiftly scurried after him. He was getting further ahead of me, so I had to run full speed to keep him in sight. I stumbled a few times but was determined to keep up. A few times, he would move off his straight path, and I would have to follow his scent.

We finally arrived at what I guessed was the border. It was a stream running across our territory and some land that had no trees at all. I would never want to live there. I was panting from our run, but I tried my best not to show Wolfheart how tired I was.

"What was that about?" I glared at him through narrowed eyes causing him to laugh. I fluffed out my black fur.

"Seeing if you could keep up. I was testing your tracking skills as well as your speed." His eyes glinted with amusement at me, but he kept a serious tone. I huffed and turned to look at the stream.

"So, that's the border?" I asked after a short moment of silence. He nodded then turned heading back the way we came. I was glad to see him not take off running. I quickly followed after him.

"Looks like I got a smart apprentice, huh?" He purred making me nod quickly with a smile. "Well, off to the Shadowclan border then." He added in and quickened his pace slightly.

"You aren't going to run off again, right?" I asked with a hint of worry in my voice. He shook his head in reply. I noticed his whiskers twitch as he held back a laugh.

It didn't take too long to get to the Shadowclan border. I easily recognized it from the last time I came here. I wouldn't admit it to Wolfheart, though. As Wolfheart was re-scenting the border, I noticed a familiar shape across. It was Leopardpaw. I watched as he buried some prey he just caught.

"Well if it isn't the kit." He mewed as he walked over to me. A small smirk on his face.

"Actually, I'm an apprentice now." I corrected, narrowing my icy blue eyes slightly. he nodded with a smile.

"It's good to see you out. Are things getting better with your clan?" I shrugged at his question and nodded. Nothing had really changed in the clan, but I was definitely feeling better than I was that day. When he noticed Wolfheart walking back, Leopardpaw turned and went back to hunting.

"Do you know him?" Wolfheart blinked at me and I shook my head. The gray warrior nodded slightly at me. "Well, we better get back to camp then. How about a little race? Not too tired from our last run?"

I grinned and mewed brightly, "Alright! I'll win this time though!" At this, He dashed away. I ran after him, but I knew I had no real chance of beating him. Yet, anyways. When I heard some noise, I stopped in my tracks. Peering through a bush that was close by, I spotted an unfamiliar brown tabby tom. His scent was unlike any clan scents I smelt, and he didn't have the smell of the lake like Riverclan was suppose to have.

_ Attack it. This is your chance._ A voice seemed to say inside me. I immediately leapt out from my hiding place and tackled the unsuspecting tabby to the ground. He let out a surprised yowl, and I managed to pin him down. I knew it was a hasty move. The larger cat could easily throw me off or attack my now exposed stomach. To my surprise, the tom looked up at me calmly. He wasn't struggling at all.

"I have come to speak with Willowstar." The brown tabby stated.


	5. Training

**18wanda- **Thanks for reviewing! Here's another chapter for you to read! :)

**Reviews are appreciated! Please, tell me what you think!**

**Wolfheart's P.O.V**

I glanced behind me when the sound of paw steps subsided. I breathed out a sigh, shaking my head. _Where has she gone off to now? _I asked myself as I looked around. Surely, she couldn't have gone too far.

I turned back around and headed the way we came. I could smell her scent lingering around, but it was mixed with a much different scent. I hurried over and watched from a short distance away. Nightpaw had a brown tabby tom pinned down. It didn't look like it was struggling even the least bit.

I padded over to them with a stern mew, "Attacking isn't always the right thing to do, Nightpaw. It was brave of you to take on a much bigger cat, but if he wanted, he could easily give you a bad wound." I watched as her head lowered in shame, and she stepped away from the cat. She murmured a 'sorry' as she continued to look at her paws.

"What are you doing here?" I inquired. The tom stood to his paws before responding.

"I came to talk to your leader." He declared, staring right at me. With a small shrug, I nodded. It was obvious he was alone. I couldn't scent any more of that strange scent. Flicking my tail for both him and Nightpaw to follow, I traveled back to camp.

When we arrived at camp, cats instantly began murmuring suspiciously amongst themselves. Willowstar was speaking to our deputy at the time that she noticed us. The gray she-cat rushed over, and she greeting the strange tom with a purr.

"It's good to see you, Flight of Golden Hawk. I hope all is well in the tribe." I saw the brown toms eyes darken at Willowstar's last sentence. He shook his head and heaved a sigh.

"If only it was. You see, these rogues have been trespassing on our territory. They ruin our hunts, and they have even attacked a few of our to-bes, injuring them badly. We could really use some help. Perhaps, you could send a few of your cats with me?" He pleaded, looking at Willowstar with optimistic eyes.

Willowstar shifted her paws in thought. Nightpaw glanced over at me and whispered, "Where is that cat from anyway?" I flicked my ears. Based on his name, I guessed he was a tribe cat.

"He lives in a tribe, which is something like a clan. They reside in the mountains." I explained. I blinked in surprise when her icy blue eyes went wide. Her black fur fluffed out. "Are you alright?"

Without answering me, she scurried right over to Willowstar and the tribe cat and stated, "Please, let me go!" I could see them giving her quizzical looks. She shuffled her paws.

"Why is it you want to go?" Willowstar demanded.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

I gulped, and I took in a deep breath. "I had a dream telling me I was suppose to go to the mountains." I knew it wasn't completely the truth, but I just had to go with him! Willowstar looked considerate of my explanation. My claws dug in the ground as I waited.

"Alright. If you had a dream then you must need to go for a reason. I'll be sending Wolfheart with you." I almost bounced up in joy. Almost. I dipped my head in respect with a 'thank you'.

"There aren't many cats I have to spare, but I can send with you these two fine cats." Willowstar mewed to the tabby. He nodded in response.

"That's fine. I will asking the other clans as well. I suppose having two cats from each clan will do." He purred in thanks before heading toward the exit. "Meet me in two days at the area just before the place your clans gather. Oh, and please call me Flight." He added before leaving.

_Two days_. I reflected. I couldn't wait to get to the mountains! If what my dream said was true, I would find the answers to what I always wondered there. My mind retraced back to my dream. I could feel the wind through my fur. I was so high up...

"...especially in- Hey, are you even listening?" I was brought back to reality by Wolfheart's soft growl. I felt myself grow warm in embarrassment. I reluctantly shook my head. There was no point in lying and risking him having me repeat what he said. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"I was just saying we should at least do some battle training. I taught you some of the basics as a kit, and I would like to see how much you know right now." I nodded my head as he finished. My whiskers were quivering in excitement. Not only was I going to the mountains, but Wolfheart was going to practice fighting with me.

We trotted off to the training hollow. When we got there, I noticed Sagepaw was there with his mentor, Petalfrost. I concluded I would probably be battling Sagepaw, not Wolfheart. Oh well, it couldn't be too bad.

"Okay you two. You are both going to act like warriors from different clans. You're in the middle of a battle and have to fight each other. Remember, keep your claws sheathed." Petalfrost clarified. Both me and the fiery red tom nodded.

"Well, I'm going to be the Thunderclan warrior!" I shouted out immaturely. Fighting with Sagepaw just made it feel like we were kits again. Tackling each other and tumbling through the nursery.

"No fair, you can be a Shadowclan warrior! I'm the Thunderclan one!" He retorted. His emerald eyes glaring at me. I could see Petalfrost's eye twitch in annoyance at our little argument. Wolfheart was holding back laughter.

"It doesn't matter what warrior you are! This is just for training! Now, get in your positions!" Petalfrost snapped at us. I grinned sheepishly. We both swiftly posed ourselves to where we faced each other. Neither of us wanted to get our ears clawed of by the impatient she-cat. I flexed my paws against the ground as I waited for her signal.

When Petalfrost flicked her tail, I charged forward leaping on Sagepaw's back. I gripped his scruff in my teeth, making sure I didn't bite down hard enough to draw blood. With a quiet yowl he dropped to his back, crushing me under his weight. I gasped softly and struggled to throw him off. He was bigger than me and obviously stronger.

After finally managing to push him off and stand, I decided to change my strategy. I dashed around Sagepaw sending swift nips to his legs and flank. He swung his red paws at me, struggling to strike me. He was able to get a good blow on my head causing me to stagger. Then, he leapt at me with paws outstretched.

As he was about to land on me, I jumped forward as well. We crashed together in a bundle of red, black and white fur. I landed sprawled out by Wolfheart's paws. I glanced over seeing Sagepaw tumbled into a bush.

"Ouch! A thorn!" I heard Sagepaw yelp as he pulled free from the bush. Twigs stuck out of his red fur, which was sticking out in a mess. Wolfheart helped me to my paws, and I walked over Sagepaw, helping pull some out of his pelt.

The young tom held out his paw, revealing a thorn sticking out. My eyes widened. It looked like it was in pretty deep. "Maybe you should go see Hazelmoon." I suggested quickly.

Sagepaw nodded. Then, Petalfrost helped him back to the medicine den. I sat down noticing my muscles aching from the rough landing.

"Get some fresh-kill. After that, You should rest up. We'll do a bit more training tomorrow. You did well." Wolfheart's yellow eyes looked at me proudly as he purred. I smiled.

"Okay." I replied plainly and bounded away. I wanted to lay down in my soft nest so bad. It would be my first night in the apprentice den, and I was sure it would be even more comfortable than the nursery.

I scooped a mouse out of the fresh-kill pile and strolled to the medicine den. I was sure Larkpaw would be hungry. When I entered, I noticed Sagepaw had gotten the thorn out. Hazelmoon was wrapping his wound in cobwebs, while Larkpaw watched intently. I didn't see what was so fascinating about it.

"Are you hungry?" I murmured to Larkpaw. I didn't want to be too loud. Apparently, being a medicine cat took much concentration.

"Yes!" She piped up cheerfully. I set the mouse down beside her. "We can share it." The brown and white medicine cat apprentice added. I purred and crouched down beside her. We took bites of the mouse until it was finished. The fresh-kill felt warm in my stomach after eating. My tongued lapped over my lips.

Waving my tail in goodbye, I padded out. I strode to the apprentice den and lied down in one of the beds. The only other apprentice, other than Sagepaw, who would be sleeping in here, was Tigerpaw. He was an older apprentice and I betted it wouldn't be long before he was made a warrior. I noticed his nest right away by his scent. He had chosen one close to the entrance.

My tail laid over my nose as I sighed contently. Sagepaw soon joined me in the den, followed by Tigerpaw, who came in a while later. Sagepaw settled down in the nest closest by mine. As kits, we all decided when we became apprentices we would sleep near each other. Things didn't go as planned, obviously. Larkpaw decided to become a medicine cat, and Hollykit- Well, she never became one.

**Third Person P.O.V**

Wolfheart woke up to a ray of light shining into the warriors den. He speedily stood and paced to the apprentice den. It was dawn, and he planned on starting Nightpaw's training as soon as possible. He wanted her to be able to rest a lot before they would leave to the mountains.

"Wake up." Wolfheart pronounced as he prodded Nightpaw's side with his paw.

"Just give me... a bit more rest." The small, black apprentice groaned, turning around in her moss lined nest. When Wolfheart gave her another poke, she sighed loudly.

"Up, Now." Wolfheart demanded. He wanted Nightpaw to be prepared for battling. At this point, he wasn't even sure he would let her when the time came. He didn't want anything happening to his apprentice.

"Okay. Okay. I'm up you bossy furball." She mumbled as she stood. Pushing passed him, she stalked out of the den. She noticed a slight flash of amusement in Wolfheart's eyes.

"I want to get in a bit more battle training then we can hunt." He explained. His fluffy gray tail flicking through the air.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

My battle training passed by pretty quickly. Next, we left to hunt. This would be my first hunt, and I couldn't help but feel eager. We went to the abandoned two-leg nest. According to Wolfheart, It was filled with prey. When we arrived, Wolfheart started his demonstration.

I watched as the gray warrior scented the air. His gaze averted to the side where a mouse was chewing on some food. He dropped into a crouch and silently stalked forward. He was so quick, that his paws seemed to glide over the ground. When he was a short distant away, he bunched up his muscles and took the leap. The mouse was snatched up in Wolfheart's jaws and killed with a bite.

"Your turn." He beckoned me forward and asked me what I smelt. When I caught a new scent of mouse, I glanced around.

"Mouse." I whispered and crouched down, mimicking what Wolfheart had done. I stalked swiftly forward, but my movements were clumsier. The mouse detected me before I was close enough and dashed off. Not wanting to lose my prey, I charged after it.

I could hear as Wolfheart pelted off after me. My lithe frame had its advantages. I was able to slide in front of the mouse blocking its path and pounce onto it. My claws sank in its flesh, killing it. The kill was messier than it should have been, but I caught the prey.

"Not too bad, but remember, a mouse will be able to feel you coming before hearing you. You have to move carefully. Let's continue hunting." Wolfheart decided. His yellow eyes were bright. I nodded my head, determined to improve.

We hunted for a while and managed to bring back five mice. Wolfheart had caught three, and I caught two. My second catch was much neater than the first. I felt satisfaction swell up inside me.

Wolfheart allowed me to relax the rest of the day. He said I needed to keep up my strength, since we would be leaving soon. I knew he was probably right, but I felt so restless. I anticipated that no one could sleep if they were as excited as I was. It wouldn't be long before I got the answers I longed for.

**So, as you probably noticed, they are going to the tribe. They'll (most likely) make it there in the next chapter or the one after that. I'm horrible when it comes to tribe cat names, and I really don't have any. Though, i'm going to try my best to think of some. If you have any suggestions, please tell me! All I need is their name and maybe a short description. **


	6. Journey's Start

**Sacnite 12490-** Thank you so much for reviewing! :) It's really helpful to get reviews like yours from time to time! You motivated me to try harder to make the chapters longer! So, this chapter is exactly 3,000 words long(That's counting the story only and not my replies to the reviews and such), which is a pretty good amount longer than my others! My other ones were all a bit less than 2,000 words! I'll try to keep making them even longer. Hope you continue to read this and maybe even review on what you think!

**Sunleaf13**- Like? I love them! Those are really cool names! I especially like Silent Rise of the Shining Moon. Thanks a bunch for reviewing! It makes my day when I see my story gets a review! Well, Hope you this chapter!

**Also, Thanks to DragonFlames-and-WaterWhisper, who gave me seven tribe cat names!**

**Third Person P.O.V**

Rays of dim sunlight shone through the apprentice den, warming Nightpaw's black fur. She blinked her icy blue eyes open, and her jaws parted in a wide yawn. Looking around the den, she noticed Tigerpaw had already left. Sagepaw stirred slightly in his sleep. She sat up, flexing out her claws.

Casting a quick glance at Sagepaw, the black she-cat crept out of the den. Her eyes traveled throughout the clearing of camp. She could hear the voice of Willowstar. She was speaking to Tigerpaw by her den. Her green gaze was filled with understanding, but Nightpaw could sense her leader's annoyance.

"But that's mouse-brained!" She could hear the brown tabby growling, " I've been an apprentice for way longer than Nightpaw! I should be the one going!"

"As I've told you before, Tigerpaw, I'm not sending Nightpaw based on her experience. If experience was the case, I would easily send one of my senior warriors." Willowstar replied calmly. Her expression was neutral as she gazed at the apprentice. She turned and slunk into her den. Obviously, she was done with this discussion.

Nightpaw's blue gaze turned to the warrior's den. _Is Wolfheart awake?_ She wondered as she strode across the clearing and toward the warrior's den. Sneaking a peek inside, she couldn't spot the gray warrior anywhere. The black she-cat heaved a sigh and decided to speak to Larkpaw.

"Larkpaw?" She mewed. She was standing outside the Medicine cat den now. Her sleek black pelt bright under the shining sun. A purr sounded in her throat when the brown medicine cat apprentice poked her head out.

"Oh, hey Nightpaw! I've got the traveling herbs ready for when you two leave! Is that what you came for?" Larkpaw inquired as she pointed her tail toward two bundles of herbs. They were set close to each other in the den with Hazelpool inspecting them. Probably to make sure they were perfect.

Nightpaw shook her head. "Actually, I came to ask if you have seen Wolfheart. I couldn't find him anywhere." Nightpaw sighed loudly as she clawed the ground in frustration_. Where did Wolfheart go off? Aren't we suppose to be leaving!_ She demanded in her mind. She was beyond ready to head off to the mountains.

"Looking for me?" A voice sounded behind Nightpaw, startling her. Her sleek black pelt fluffed out for a moment before noticing who it was. She quickly twirled around to face her mentor. His yellow eyes were shining in anticipation.

"Yes! I've been looking for you for a while! Where did you go? We have to make it to the meeting spot before Flight thinks we aren't coming!" The words spilled rapidly out of Nightpaw's mouth. Every hair on her pelt was pricking in excitement.

"Eager, aren't me?" Wolfheart said with a mrrow of laughter. "Don't worry. We are leaving right now." He added in, nodding his head to Larkpaw. Larkpaw quickly pulled the two bundles of herbs out of the den and set them beside them.

Nightpaw bent down, sniffing the herbs. They didn't have a really pleasing smell. Reluctantly, the apprentice scooped the herbs up in her jaws and chewed. They tasted bitter against her tongue, and it took all her will not to spit them out everywhere. Her face clearly showing disgust, she managed to swallow down the herbs.

Wolfheart padded in the direction of the exit, leaving Nightpaw to scurry off after him. Nightpaw waved her tail in goodbye to Larkpaw. She couldn't wait to start their little adventure to the mountains.

"Wait! You didn't think you could leave without saying bye to me, did you?" Came an affectionate mew. Before Nightpaw knew it, a fiery red tom slid in front of her. He sent a glare at her. He was obviously upset that she didn't wake him.

"Sorry, Sagepaw. I was-" She started but was interrupted by her 'brother'.

"It's okay. Make sure you come back fine! We need to have another battle, so I can beat you again, furball!" He growled playfully at her. The red tom gave her a gentle swat on the head for emphasis. Nightpaw giggled and shook her head.

"I accept that challenge, but you won't be the one winning!" She purred out. Before they could talk anymore, Wolfheart cut in.

"Everything will be fine. We need to head off now." The fluffy gray warrior stated. It was true. They were wasting good time by sitting here. The other chosen cats to go probably were waiting for them.

They proceeded toward the chosen area to gather. Wolfheart padded in the front with Nightpaw trailing a few paw steps behind. Nightpaw could feel the dappled sunlight and shade on her pelt as she passed under the trees. They were traveling in silence. All she could hear was the sound of bird's singing and the gentle rustling of leaves. Upon getting closer to the Windclan border, the two cats kept close to the lake.

"We'll have to cross here." Wolfheart uttered, breaking the long silence. He gestured to the line of water, cutting through the two territories. Nightpaw's eyes widened in disbelief.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

"We're going in the stream?" I asked although I knew the answer. Wolfheart's only reply was curt nod. A shiver shot through my spine at the thought of swimming through the cold water. _I'm no RiverClan cat! I don't want to get my pelt wet!_ I exclaimed in my head.

Without any hesitation, Wolfheart plunged into the stream. Drops of water were sent my way, hitting me all over. I let out a soft shriek of surprise and shivered. The water went up to about his shoulders as he padded forward. It didn't seem to bother him much.

"Come on. If I see you going under I'll grab you immediately." He reassured me. His yellow eyes were gazing back at me over his shoulder. I shrugged, nodding my head slightly. My eyes closed, and I gripped the ground with my claws. _Just jump in and swim... Just jump in and swim._

_ Splash._ I leapt into the river and started swimming. I could feel a gentle tug of the current pulling at me. I struggled to keep my head above water. Unlike Wolfheart, I couldn't touch the bottom with my paws. I flailed my legs around when a stronger current pushed me under. The water stung my eyes as it pushed passed.

I felt myself being lifted up in someone's jaws. I was set down on the river bank, and I sputtered out water. I sat up and took a deep gulp of air, filling my lungs. I could feel Wolfheart's concerned gaze bore down on me. I protested that I was fine. Then, I stood and shook my soaked fur.

As we walked on, I could feel the weight of my wet fur dragging me down. All I could do was hope the warm sun would dry me. A strange scent lingered through the air. I glanced around in search of the source, but I had no idea what it was.

"What's that smell?" I asked curiously. There were so many new things I would see. So many new scents.

"Horses. They're huge animals. We might even see a few." He responded with a flick of his ears. After walking for a bit more, the gray warrior motioned to what looked like a huge two-leg den. As I observed it, I saw what I expected Wolfheart was talking about.

They were all over, slowly taking steps. A fence stood between us and the huge animals. Most of them were brown and had weird shaped paws. Their snouts were long and they made strange grunting sounds. What scared me the most was their giant size. I shuddered as I thought about what they could do to a cat.

"There's nothing to worry about. As long as you avoid them, they can't do anything. They don't attack us." Wolfheart mewed gently, seeming to know what I was thinking. I nodded my head with an 'okay'.

We walked on for a while when I smelt the scents of the other clans. My paws pricked with excitement, and I had to hold back from dashing off toward it. I glanced over at Wolfheart. His ears were angled forward, and his head was raised. It looked like he noticed them as well. I could see the shapes of cats in the distance. There were seven different cats. So, Flight had gotten two cats from each clan.

**Wolfheart's P.O.V**

When we were close enough to make out the different figures, I checked to see which cats had been chosen. From ShadowClan was Jaggedrock and his apprentice, Leopardpaw. From RiverClan came Badgerclaw and Mistyfur. Emberwhisker and Echobounce were the WindClan cats, who would join us. It looked like a good fighting force. I was sure we would be able to beat those rogues.

Nightpaw broke into a quick run to the group. I followed after her swiftly. We slid to a stop in front of the cats. They glanced up at us, and I could tell a few looked annoyed. I immediately dipped my head in greeting.

"ThunderClan. Late as usual." Jaggedrock sneered as he glared at me. I shrugged, but I managed to keep my fur flat and expression calm.

"My apologies. We got a bit of a distraction on the way." I answered composedly. I didn't want to start any fights. Especially since we hadn't even begun our trek to the mountains.

"I can't say it's a surprise, seeing how you're bringing a kit along with you." he mocked as he crouched down in front of Nightpaw. His amber eyes glaring right at her blue ones.

"I'm no kit! I'm an apprentice! You... You old furball!" The black apprentice replied fiercely. Her fur was bristling as she glowered defiantly at the much older cat. Every cat in the small clearing went silent. I could see Jaggedrock's long claws unsheathe as he whispered something I couldn't quite catch to Nightpaw. I rapidly pushed my way between the two quarreling cats.

"We can't start fighting. We all have the same mission, so let's just get along for now." I directed a sharp glare at both cats before stepping back. Flight nodded his brown tabby head before heading off. Everyone followed after him, murmuring quietly in their pairs.

ShadowClan was in the front, followed by RiverClan. WindClan came next, and finally we brought up the rear. I assumed it was best to keep Nightpaw away from Jaggedrock. She could have a sharp tongue at times that often got her in trouble. Each cat stayed with the other from their clan. It was unusual that the clans worked together, and I guessed they weren't liking it.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

I could see the mountains in the distance. They were still a great distance away, but from what I could see, they were huge! I closed my eyes, picturing my dream again. I imagined myself on the high brown mountains. The wind ruffling my sleek black fur as it blew through. I was so high I could even see a few clouds below. I envisioned birds flying below me.

"Psst, hey? Nightpaw!" I was brought back to reality by the sound of someone's voice. I blinked open my eyes to see Leopardpaw had dropped back near me. I glanced forward seeing Jaggedrock didn't seem to notice. He was too busy talking to Flight. I looked to my other side seeing Wolfheart had gone a few paw steps ahead.

"Hey." I mewed plainly. I wasn't sure what to say. Was there anything to really say at all? I clawed through my brain in search of something to say. _Fox-dung_. To my relief, Leopardpaw decided to speak.

"So, how's the prey running in ThunderClan? He inquired casually as we continued to walk. His hazel eyes looked at me thoughtfully, and he added in, "Sorry about Jaggedrock. He can be that way sometimes, but when you get to know him, he's pretty cool."

"As good as in any clan I guess." I mewed. "I bet I surprised him when I talked back!" I purred. My eyes were shining with triumph. As scared as I was under the Large tom's gaze I wouldn't show it. I was surprised myself when I had the courage to say something back.

"Oh I'm sure he was! No one ever dares talk back to him! Especially, an apprentice! I know I wouldn't'!" He laughed. I allowed a quiet giggle as well. I gave him a shove.

"That's because you're a just a scared little furball." I teased, flicking a paw at his head. "You should especially be frightened by tough she-cats like me! We'll claw your fur off." I growled a soft, playful growl. I unsheathed my claws for emphasis. He widened his hazel eyes in attempt to look scared, and he moved a few paces away from me.

"Oh no! Don't claw my fur off!" He pleaded mockingly. With a laugh I launched myself at him. We tumbled on the ground in a bundle of fur. He swatted his paws gently at my head. I bit down on one of his paws carefully, and he lightly kicked my side.

"...And that's why we don't bring apprentices on important missions." Badgerclaw, a muscular black tom, growled irritably. We instantly shot to our paws. I looked down as I felt my pelt grow warm in embarrassment. While talking to Leopardpaw, I had forgotten about what we were doing.

Wolfheart murmured an apology for me. I glanced up at him with a shrug. I then turned to see what Jaggedrock was doing. He looked even more humiliated than Leopardpaw and I did. I stifled a giggle as I quickly looked away. I guessed that he probably thought it made him look bad seeing how he was Leopardpaw's mentor.

"There's no time for fooling around. We need to get to the tribe as soon as possible." Wolfheart gave me a stern glare. I shrunk back slightly with a mumble of 'sorry'. It wasn't often that Wolfheart got mad, so when he did, it was pretty scary. I knew he wouldn't hurt me or anything, but I strived to be like him. Obviously, what I did was something he didn't ever.

It wasn't much longer before my paws began to feel heavy with exhaustion. My tail was dragging against the ground and collecting dirt. I could hear the quiet growls of my empty stomach as well. I was so tired. I could've fallen asleep on my paws if I wanted to.

"Let's rest here." Flight turned around when he spoke to us. As my pale, icy blue eyes gazed around, I could tell I wasn't the only one who was worn-out.

"I'm going to see if I can catch anything." Wolfheart stated before trotting away. The other warriors muttered in agreement and left as well. I was about to pad off in search of prey when I heard flight's voice.

"You to-bes can rest. You need it more than them, and I'm sure they will bring back much prey." I blinked my eyes in confusion. _To-be? What does he mean by that?_ I could see my own confusion reflecting in Leopardpaw's eyes as he casted me a glance. I just shrugged.

"Why don't you hunt? And what do you mean by 'to-be'" I wondered after a moment of silence. I couldn't hold back the curiosity that was pricking my paws. A purr rumbled in his throat.

"I'm a cave-guard. We don't hunt. That is what the prey-hunters do. We guard the cave as well as keep watch during hunts. A to-be is a young cat either training to be a prey-hunter or cave-guard." The brown tabby tom explained to us. It didn't make so much sense though. _So, a to-be is basically an apprentice, and a cave-guard and prey-hunter are both types of warriors?_ I shook my head. I had so many questions to ask about the tribe.

When I saw Flight settle down, I decided to keep my questions to myself until a better time. Maybe even Wolfheart would know something. I lied down against the ground with a slight shiver as a breeze buffeted my fur. Leopardpaw laid down not far from me.

The scent of fresh kill hung in the air when the warriors returned. They each had caught one or two pieces of prey. Wolfheart set a mouse down beside me, and I thanked him with a quick nod. I took a deep bite into the mouse, savoring the delicious flavors. It's warm scent wafted around. I ate it in a few more bites. Then, I licked my lips.

With a full stomach and tired paws, from the long walk, I closed my eyes. My tail slipped over my nose, and I sighed contently. Wolfheart had chosen a spot close by me. I could feel the warmth of his thick gray fur. The grass wasn't as comfortable as my nest in the apprentice den, but it wasn't too bad. I felt at ease being around Wolfheart and even Leopardpaw. Sometimes, just being away from camp was nice. It got my mind off Pinepelt and all those strange things he would say to me.

It only took a few moments for me to slip into dream. It was a familiar dream I had been having ever since the day Hollykit had died. A dream that I knew so well. It was the same mountain dream again.

This time I concluded that I would explore. I started to pad off, keeping close to the mountain wall. I didn't want to risk stumbling over the ledge. I stopped when I spotted an opening in the brown, rocky wall. My head poked curiously inside to see what was there, but in the darkness I could barely see anything. A pair of shining, amber eyes caught my attention.

"I can show you the truth." An old, unfamiliar voice rasped.

**So, they didn't make it to the tribe this chapter. They probably will in the next one unless I decide that something will stall our adventurers. :p If you have any more tribe names, I would be happy to see them! Please, review! It makes me happy! :)**


	7. Foxes and Kittypets

**So, It's been awhile since I updated, but here it is! I hope you enjoy! Reviews are appreciated. They motivate me to write and update faster!**

Nightpaw was the first of the traveling cats to rouse. She sat up with a wide yawn, and she gazed around at the shapes of the others. It was only dawn, but the black she-cat felt wide awake. Her blue eyes traveled to the sky. The sun was rising, making the sky a mixture of red, orange and yellow. It was stunning. The apprentice couldn't take her eyes from it.

A stirring beside her notified her that Leopardpaw was awakening. He raised up next to her, and his gaze fixed on what she was looking at. The white and gray apprentice then glanced over seeing the two-leg dens in the distance. The dens appeared in silhouette against the sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Nightpaw breathed out at the mesmerizing sight. Leopardpaw just nodded his head in agreement. They sat in the same position until it was nearly sun-high. The bright colors of the sky vanished, being replaced by the usual blue.

"How about we hunt? I'm starving!" Leopardpaw exclaimed as he stood to his paws. Before Nightpaw could answer, her stomach growled, confirming that she was as well. She rose and followed after Leopardpaw. He was heading in the direction of the two-leg dens. Nightpaw's legs felt numb from the long time they sat, but she managed to keep up.

"Do you even know where we are going?" Nightpaw inquired. Her paws started to prick with worry. The two-leg dens seemed closer with every paw step they took. She remembered Leopardpaw was once a kittypet, so he probably wasn't anxious at being so close to them.

"No, but there are always mice close to where two-legs live. Don't worry I won't let anything happen to you." The ShadowClan apprentice purred as they continued to walk. She instantly felt more reassured. She just hoped the others wouldn't wake up so soon. She was sure they wouldn't be pleased to see they had wandered off.

The two apprentices stopped at a small Thunderpath. Nightpaw could see the dens not too far from the gray stretch running through the area. There were a few trees around. Nightpaw suspected they could catch a mouse or two around them. The tree area wasn't close to as big as in ThunderClan, but it was a good size. Before Nightpaw could suggest hunting in the undergrowth, Leopardpaw spoke up.

"We can cross here. We'll head to the dens and snatch up enough mice to feed everyone." He stated without any hesitation. Nightpaw watched as the other apprentice glanced to both sides of the Thunderpath. He scented the air and angled his ears forward, but couldn't hear or smell any Monsters around. Leopardpaw signaled for Nightpaw to come closer. She faltered for a moment before obeying.

Nightpaw was about to dash forward when she felt weight slam down on her tail. She let out a startled yelp and twisted around to see the gray shape of Wolfheart behind her. His yellow eyes were narrowed, and his ears were twitching irritably. She shrank back slightly when the warrior removed his paw from her tail.

She sent a glance to her side, noticing that Jaggedrock had stopped his apprentice as well. He was growling something to Leopardpaw, but Nightpaw didn't listen. She was too focused on Wolfheart's expression. His expression was concerned as he looked at her. His eyes didn't show any anger but relief that he had found her.

"What were you two thinking? You're Tree-lengths away from where we slept!" Wolfheart's yellow gaze bore down on her.

"We w-were going h-hunting," Nightpaw stammered. Her ice blue eyes were fixed on her paws now. Maybe he wouldn't have been as mad if they just hunted under the trees. They had caught them at the wrong moment. Right when they were about to cross.

"Well, since we're here, we may as well hunt. We aren't crossing the Thunderpath though." The gray warrior sighed and headed into the tree filled area. A growl rumbled in Jaggedrock's throat as he walked after him. The others soon followed, leaving the two apprentices to scurry after them.

Leopardpaw kept the same pace as Nightpaw as they stalked after the other traveling cats. Leopardpaw broke the small silence when he mewed, "Sorry. I shouldn't have brought us out so far."

Nightpaw shook her black furred head. "It's not all your fault. I should have said something. Anyway, at least we get to hunt now," Nightpaw replied. They quickened their paces when entering the tree area. Both apprentices stopped to sniff the air.

She could smell the scent of rabbit and mouse. It seemed like they would have a good hunt. They padded on for any stronger and fresher scents. That's when Nightpaw caught a new scent. It was strangely familiar and sent a shiver up her spine. It was the scent of something she never wanted to see again. It was fox.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

"Leopardpaw! We have to leave!" I whispered the other apprentice. My black pelt was on end and my eyes were wide pools of blue. He nodded, seeming to understand why.

"It's just a fox though. We should be able to take it on." The gray and white tom said. His nose was lifted in the air. The scent of fox was strong around us now. It was obvious it lived here. My claws dug in the ground.

I hissed quietly, "Leopardpaw, you don't know what a fox could do! We really have to go find the others at least!" I was annoyed at his stubbornness. He was always so confident and acted as if he could take on anything. A fox could be a problem though, but he didn't seem to realize that.

"Why are you so scared? I won't let it lay a scratch on you or me." He heaved a loud sigh. Immediately my gaze fell to my paws, and I started to tremble. The memory seemed so fresh in my mind. It was as if it had happened just a sunrise ago.

"The day- that day. The day I first t-talked to you. A fox had k-killed my sister. It did it so e-easily and it almost killed my other s-siblings and me as well. I wouldn't be here right now if Wolfheart hadn't came and drove it off." My voice wavered as I spoke. I could see Leopardpaw's eyes fill with sympathy.

"Okay. Let's get out of here." With that, we both turned to leave. I froze when I saw the frame of something in front of us. It loomed over us with its teeth bared menacingly. A growl rumbled deep in its throat as it took a step forward. I could feel Leopardpaw's fur brush against mine as he backed up.

I was petrified. I was crouched motionlessly on the ground. I could feel the small drips of saliva trailing from the fox's lolling tongue. It's pointed, yellow fangs were only kitsteps away from me. My breath was caught in my throat as I waited for the impact of teeth to my skin.

My eyes flashed open as Leopardpaw threw himself at the fox's face. He clung to it tightly as it thrashed. His claws were digging in its skin, causing drops of blood to fall. When he screeched for me to run, I immediately staggered to my paws. I couldn't run though. I couldn't leave Leopardpaw alone.

I watched as he clawed it's eyes, earning a yelp. The fox threw Leopardpaw off. He slid on his paws glaring at the fox. The apprentice's fur was raised, and he was hissing. My blue eyes widened when I saw the shape of another fox pad forward. It broke into a run, and it charged right at me.

I felt teeth grip my scruff tightly. At first I thought it was the end. I thought the fox had caught me. Then, I noticed Leopardpaw's white, gray spotted fur. He had dragged me out of the way. He was running, pulling me with him. I could tell he was struggling some because he stumbled a few times.

"I can walk!" I twisted out of his grip with a growl. It was harsh for someone who had just saved me, but I was angry at myself for being so useless. I should have been attacking the fox as well.

He narrowed his eyes at me and retorted, " Well, you weren't moving at all when you really needed to." I flinched at his tone and gave myself a few embarrassed licks. We were traveling down the tree area quickly. We couldn't risk the foxes catching up. We came to the small Thunderpath, and we stopped. It wasn't the same area for sure, since we were still surrounded by trees, but it looked like the same Thunderpath.

"Let's cross here. I'm sure the foxes would never pass this." he pronounced as he casted a glance behind us. When we saw no Monsters around, we quickly dashed across. I had no idea where we were going, and I was sure Leopardpaw didn't know either.

I glanced over at Leopardpaw, and I gasped when noticing he was limping. There was blood smeared on his hind leg. The fox had probably bit him when he hurled in front of it to save me. I mewed quickly, "You're hurt! We should relax a bit!"

"I'm fine." He insisted, but I could tell it was hurting him. The wound was looking pretty deep, and I wished Hazelpool was around at a time like this. I didn't know anything about herbs, so there wasn't much I could do. We didn't walk much further before I could see the Two-leg dens in front of us. They were only a few fox-lengths away as we exited the tree filled area.

They were surrounded by a wall of dull, red block looking objects. They looked like they were set on top of each other, and they stuck out of the ground. They seemed to be protecting the dens. I glanced over seeing Leopardpaw observing them. He was favoring his hind leg as we padded a few paw steps on.

"Well, well, well... looks like we got a couple of trespassers. Doesn't it, Blizzard?" A voice sneered. I looked up to see a muscular gray tom with white paws. He was sitting on the wall, glaring down at us. Another tom, a pure white one with blue eyes, leapt up next to him.

"Yes. It does. Milo, we should teach them a lesson." The white tom snickered. They both jumped down, landing right in front of us. I knew they were kittypets because they had collars around their necks. These kittypets, however, didn't match the usual description I had heard about kittypets. I had always heard they were soft and weak. These ones didn't look like that.

They stood over us with smirks plastered to their faces. My black fur bristled as I backed up against Leopardpaw. We had two choices. Fight off the kittypets or run back into the forest where the foxes were waiting. Either way, it didn't seem like it would have a good outcome.

"Don't underestimate us! We are clan cats and we'll shred you, kittypets!" Leopardpaw spat fiercely. His eyes were flaring in fury, and he growled. The two kittypets laughed and advanced further. I could feel fear pulsing through every muscle. I was worried I would be hurt but even more scared that the already injured Leopardpaw would be killed.

The white tom charged at me, sinking his teeth into my shoulder. I screeched and dug my claws into his chest, trying to pry him off. I could see Leopardpaw out of the corner of my eye. He was about to attack the white tom, when the gray one slammed into his side. They tumbled in a flash of fur. I could only hope he was okay.

I bit down on the white kittypets paw. He yowled, and taking advantage of his grip loosening, I pulled free. I stumbled quickly to my paws and jumped onto his back. My teeth sank into his scruff deeply as I hung on. He charged to the red wall and slammed his back and me against it. I could feel pain surge through me as I yelped. I fell to the ground with a thump. I glanced up weakly seeing the tom standing over me. His white fur was stained with blood from my bites. He lifted a paw and trailed his claws gently to my throat with a snicker.

"Make one move, and I'll claw your throat out," The tall cat threatened. I squeezed my eyes shut as I thought. What was there I could do? I was trapped against the wall by the stronger cat, and his paw was pressed against my throat, making it harder to breathe. I couldn't die. I was suppose to figure out the truth! I couldn't make Leopardpaw do all the work again.

I lashed a paw out swiftly at the tom's front paws. When he stumbled forward, I instantly shot up and bit down on his hind legs. He growled in pain and threw me off. He was about to tackle me when a voice broke in.

"Blizzard! Milo! Stop!" The two toms stopped abruptly. A new cat was sitting on the fence and glaring down sharply. It was a slender she-cat with calico fur. She hopped down, and the white tom padded over, leaving me standing defensively. When I saw the gray tom sit in front of the she-cat I glanced around for any sign of Leopardpaw. I spotted him on the ground beside a tree of the area we had just left.

I raced over and crouched down beside him. He was breathing, but he looked badly hurt. His white and gray fur was covered in blood. His previously hurt leg was bleeding, and there was a gash in his shoulder. A few scratches covered his frame. There was no way Leopardpaw could have taken on the gray tom. He was even bigger than the white one, and Leopardpaw was wounded already by the foxes.

"I... I'm fine," Leopardpaw slowly stood, groaning in pain. Everyone of my muscles was aching in pain as I helped him steady himself. When we saw the three cats walking over to us, he shot into a protective position. My fur bristled, and I glared at them.

"I apologize for what happened. We had a few hostile cats pass by recently, so they must have assumed you were like them. I doubt you are though. You two aren't even full grown."

I nodded and mewed weakly, "We didn't mean to trespass. We were running away from two foxes. My friend was wounded by one." I motioned to Leopardpaw who dipped his head slightly in acknowledgement. The she-cat looked at us with pity, and the two toms just grunted.

"Come with me. My house folk are gone, so you can rest in my den. I also know someone who might be able to help. I'm Mishie by the way." The calico cat turned and leapt onto the fence. We followed after her, struggling from the pain of the fight. We walked along the wall until we came to a blue two-leg den. Mishie jumped down and signaled for us to follow.

"I'm not going in there!" Leopardpaw hissed defiantly. At first it surprised me since he was a former kittypet, but I guessed that he didn't really like his kittypet roots. They had earned him a lot of trouble in his clan.

I gave him a gentle nudge, "Please. We won't be able to do anything in this state. We need to be well enough to find the others." He shrugged and reluctantly agreed. We entered through a flap on the door.

The ground in the den was soft under my paws. I tiredly collapsed onto the ground with a relived sigh. Leopardpaw settled down near me. The blood on our pelts had dried. Mishie dropped a bowl in front of us. Inside of it were brown pellets. They didn't smell that great.

"Eat," Mishie commanded as she pointed her tail to the bowl. I took a small bite of the 'food'. It was dry and disgusting, but I was too hungry to protest. We both ate until we were full. Then, the calico she-cat slid over another one that contained water. We drank some of it. It had a strange taste to it.

"I'm going to get the friend of mine I was talking about. You two can rest." With that, the she-cat vanished through the flap of the door. We laid down in silence for a while. My eyes traveled around the strange den. It was huge and filled with many objects.

Leopardpaw closed his eyes and sighed, "I just can't wait to find the others."

I nodded and mewed, "I bet they're worried. I hope they don't leave without us." I wasn't sure if they would. I didn't think Wolfheart would leave without finding us. Then again, they might decide it's easier without two apprentices causing trouble. I gulped worriedly.

"Don't worry. They will come for us, and if they don't, I'll make sure we return back to the clans," Leopardpaw reassured me. It was nice to at least have him with me. I couldn't imagine being there alone.

I lifted my head when I heard Mishie come in. I saw an old tom following after her. The old tom inspected us for short moment before sliding something in front of himself. Herbs. The scent wafted to me, reminding me of the Medicine cat's den. _I wonder if he is some type of medicine cat?_

"Hello, young cats. My name is Tiki. Mishie told me you two are clan cats, is that correct?" The elderly tom asked. When we nodded, he continued. "I visited a clan once. There, I learned about different techniques and even herbs."

Tiki began chewing up the herbs in his jaws. He spread it against my wounds first and then Leopardpaw's. It stung, but I refused to show it. When he was done, he wrapped them in cobwebs. He carefully observed us.

"You two are lucky Mishie came when she did. You two will be okay but rest now."

Leopardpaw gave a slight nod. I curled up in a ball resting my tail over my nose. Tiki set two poppy seeds in front of each of us. I lapped them up before closing my eyes. I was exhausted. Leopardpaw shifted slightly closer to me. I could feel his warm fur against mine.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow we'll find them for sure," He murmured gently to me.

**All of the kittypets I used are actually cats I have or had at one point. I thought it would be cool to add them in there. :) I put a poll up to decide on Leopardpaw's warrior name. If you think you have a good name that I didn't put in the poll, feel free tell me. If not, I would love it if you voted on which name you like best!**


	8. Welcome to the Tribe

**18wanda- Thank you! It made my day to see I had some reviews. Hope you'll like this chapter!**

**Patty Hillard- Thanks! Happy you like it. :) That's good because that's like the first profile page I've ever done anything to. I usually never feel like putting anything on them.**

Wolfheart padded through the tree area with the others following close behind. Jaggedrock walked near his flank. It was obvious that he didn't enjoy trailing after the younger warrior. They were about half way through the area when Wolfheart spotted a rabbit. The plump prey was nibbling on a patch of grass among the bare ground. It was a small distance away, but it didn't seem to notice the approaching cats.

The gray warrior signaled his tail to the rabbit and instantly the group split. The rabbit was big enough to feed about half the traveling cats, so they didn't want to risk it escaping. They circled around the rabbit, crouching down to stay hidden. Wolfheart silently stalked forward. His paws seemed to glide over the dusty ground as he moved. When he was in reach, he bunched his muscles. His claws unsheathed, and he readied for a jump. If the rabbit managed to get away, one of the others wound catch it.

His paws pushed against the ground as he leapt forward. Right before he could make contact with the rabbit, a yelp cut through the air. The startled rabbit made a dash for it, leaving Wolfheart to stumble to the ground. He could only hope that one of the others was able to capture it.

"Fox-dung," The fluffy gray warrior hissed as he shook the dirt from his pelt. The others of the traveling cats appeared from their hiding places. They walked forward, stopping in front of Wolfheart. Jaggedrock had the rabbit hanging from his jaws. Blood soaked around it's pure white scruff.

"What was that?" Jaggedrock grumbled as he dropped the fresh-kill to the ground. It landed with a small thump, creating leaves and dirt to brush into the air. Wolfheart could see suspicion shining in the brown cat's eyes. Wolfheart shook his head.

"Not so sure, but it sounded like a fox," Wolfheart mewed. He pricked his ears forward as he listened intently. Maybe he could hear some other sound. When he picked up the sound of faint hissing in the distance, his yellow eyes widened.

"Looks like the apprentices managed to run into more trouble," Jaggedrock sneered. His muddy brown eyes were narrowed slits. To Wolfheart's surprise, the older warrior didn't seem to show much concern for Leopardpaw. Unlike Wolfheart, Jaggedrock clearly didn't worry as much if his apprentice got injured.

Echobounce, one of the chosen WindClan cats, stepped forward. She replied in a soft voice, "Well we aren't doing any good just standing here. Let's see if we can find them." No cat protested at what the brown she-cat said. They immediately strode away, keeping close to each other. It wouldn't do any good if anyone else got separated.

Wolfheart caught the scent of fox. It lingered in the air, and it was mixed with the smells of the two apprentices. Nightpaw's fear-scent was clear in the area. Wolfheart knew that Nightpaw had been terrified of foxes ever since her last encounter. Her adventure had gone wrong, and the cause was the fox. It was something Wolfheart knew would be hard for her to get over.

He continued on, following the scents. It was obvious that the two had run off with the foxes trailing behind. There were small drops of blood scattered among the ground. Wolfheart felt his stomach clench. _What if the fox got Nightpaw? What if we are too late to save her and Leopardpaw? _He quickly shook the questions out of his head as they headed on.

They came to a stop at a Thunderpath. It was hard to find any scents other than the reek of the monsters that frequently roared passed. He crouched down beside it. The others soon joined as they waited for a good moment to cross. Right after a monster charged passed, the cats dashed across. The gray stretch felt hot and rough under Wolfheart's paws.

Wolfheart and the others froze when they spotted two foxes only a couple mouse-lengths away from them. They were staring out of the tree area and were settled down beside the few trees that left the forest like place. Wolfheart flicked his tail for the other cats to gather close around.

"There's only two. We can take them on," Jaggedrock growled as he flexed his curved claws. His brown glare was fixed on the foxes up ahead. A grin at the thought of fighting was plastered on his brown, darker flecked face.

"Alright. Jaggedrock, Mistyfur and I will take on the one on the left. Badgerclaw, Emberwhisker, Echobounce and Flight get the one on the right." Wolfheart directed as he motioned to each fox. Jaggedrock let out a defiant snort at being ordered by the younger warrior, but he didn't complain.

When everyone nodded, they stalked forward. The young gray tom could see blood smeared on the muzzle of the fox they were about to attack. It carried the scent of Leopardpaw on its breath. It was now confirmed that they had attacked the apprentices. Wolfheart found a growl rising in his throat.

Wolfheart let out a battle yowl and leapt out at one of the foxes. His claws dug in its scruff as he sank his teeth in its shoulder. It had no time to react before the other two attacked it was well. It thrashed around, unable to snap it's jaws as Jaggedrock clawed its muzzle and eyes. It yelped loudly and slammed into a tree. The cats pushed away in order to avoid the contact. The fox dashed off without any hesitation.

Wolfheart glanced over to see the other four had chased away their fox. They were letting out yowls of triumph as the startled foxes ran off and out of sight. It wasn't too much of a problem for the warriors and cave guard to take on a full grown fox. Wolfheart turned his gaze to the exit of the tree area.

He paced out quickly without a word. His mind was set on finding Nightpaw and didn't want to waste any time. He knew Leopardpaw had been injured, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Nightpaw had been as well. For all he knew, she could be too hurt to even move anymore.

He looked around seeing many two-leg dens in a row. Wolfheart could smell slight scents of Nightpaw and Leopardpaw. It was mingled with a few unfamiliar cat scents. Another scent hung thick in the air. _Blood? Was there a fight? _He quickly uttered, "We have to search around here for them."

"Yes. What will the clan's think if we don't return with the apprentices?" Jaggedrock growled causing Wolfheart to boil with anger.

"I don't care what the clan's would think! I have to find Nightpaw and that's it! Do you even care what happens to them!" Wolfheart rounded up on Jaggedrock. Every hair on his pelt was bristling, and his yellow eyes flared in irritation.

"Leaders have to stay composed at all times," Came Mistyfur's quiet voice as she stood between the two toms. She was gazing at Wolfheart as she spoke.

"Him, leader?" Jaggedrock snarled at Mistyfur. The young she-cat shrank back slightly as she gave him an apologetic look.

"I just thought-" She started to explain but was interrupted by Jaggedrock.

"If you thought at all, you would know I would never follow after him! If anyone deserves to lead, it's me. I'm much more experienced!" The brown tom spat fiercely. He was glaring around at the other cats as if daring them to challenge.

"And much more mouse-brained," Badgerclaw mused aloud. The black tom had a small smirk on his face. He padded up to Wolfheart and Jaggedrock.

Wolfheart could see Emberwhisker's eye twitch in annoyance. The ginger she-cat sighed, "Toms! Honestly, what are we, kits? Stop bickering and let's get on with this search!" The WindClan cat turned to leave.

"You mentioned clans, right? You don't happen to know two young cats, do you?" The cats all glanced over to see a large gray and white tom. A collar hung around its neck, confirming that it was a kittypet. The cat gave them a questioning look.

Wolfheart's eyes instantaneously lit up. He asked promptly, "Yes! Do you know where those two cats went?"

The gray and white tom nodded and pointed his tail down the row of two-leg dens. "Mishie brought them to her house folk's den. It's a few dens down that way. You should be able to catch their scent."

Wolfheart rapidly leapt onto the fence with a 'thank you'. He ambled along the red wall. His head was lifted as he took in a deep breath. A breeze wafted their scents toward him, and he followed it to a blue two-leg den. The gray warrior jumped down from the fence. The others soon followed.

"We are off course. We must get them and leave quickly. The tribe may be in trouble," Flight declared urgently. It was true. They should have already been at the tribe or at least close. They were even further away than they were at night. Wolfheart gave him a reassuring nod.

They stopped at the entrance of the den. Wolfheart cautiously approached a small flap on it. It was big enough for any of them to push through. He prodded one of his gray paws at the flap, making it swing. The scents of the two-leg den swung out at him.

"Nightpaw? Leopardpaw?" The warrior hissed as he poked his head through the flap. The area inside was large, and inwardly, he hoped they wouldn't have to enter. When no reply came, he silently stepped in. He indicated with his tail for the others to follow. The ground was as soft as a kits fur under their paws.

They walked on spotting a calico she-cat. She was staring right at them with wide eyes as they approached. She looked frozen in place. Wolfheart lifted his tail and the others stopped. He could hear Jaggedrock's quiet growl as he walked forward.

"W-who are you?" The she-cat inquired carefully. She was taking small steps back.

" I'm Wolfheart. Don't worry. We won't hurt you. We're looking for two cats, and we heard that they might be here," Wolfheart answered. The she-cats head instantly shot up and she nodded. Waving her tail for them to follow she led them to the couch.

"They're sleeping on the couch. Poor things are worn out," She blinked. Her eyes were filled with sympathy as she pointed a paw to what Wolfheart assumed was the 'couch'. The wild cats slowly approached it.

Laying comfortably on the two-leg object was Leopardpaw and Nightpaw. They were close together, sleeping contently. Both of their frames were wrapped in herbs and cobwebs. It surprised Wolfheart. He looked at the other cats, seeing his own confusion reflecting in their eyes.

"You know about healing?" The fluffy gray tom questioned in disbelief. He looked at the calico she-cat. Her eyes were shining in amusement at their confusion.

"No. An older tom I know visited one of those 'clans' before. Apparently he picked up on some things there," She purred and sat down. Her tail curled over her lithe body.

"Let's wake the apprentices and leave then!" Came Jaggedrock's impatient growl. He had already leapt on the couch and was looming over the two younger cats. He was looking at them with an irritated expression.

Mishie gasped, "They can't leave yet! They're hurt! It's much too soon!"

Wolfheart couldn't help but agree slightly at what the she-cat said. They looked exhausted, and their wounds would probably still be aching from their injuries. Wolfheart sighed as he weighed out the options. They were wasting time here, and Flight was getting more urgent the more time that passed.

" I'm sorry, but we don't have any time to waste. If it's too much for them, then we will carry them. Jaggedrock, wake them up," Wolfheart explained. Jaggedrock snorted before prodding the two apprentices awake. They both groaned before sitting up and blinking their eyes groggily.

"Jaggedrock... Wolfheart!" Nightpaw exclaimed and jumped off the crouch at Wolfheart. She winced in pain as she hit the ground. She had forgotten all about her wounds.

Leopardpaw jumped down more cautiously and padded off after her. "Mouse-brain," The tom muttered gently. Nightpaw felt her pelt grow warm in embarrassment and she turned her head away with a 'humph'.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

Soon after being woken up, we headed out. The pain from my wounds was still fresh, but they didn't hurt as bad thanks to Tiki. The tom did as good as any medicine cat could. It made me wonder how long he had stayed with that clan. What clan was he with anyway?

I walked at the back of the group with Leopardpaw hanging close to my side. I could see Wolfheart cast quick glances back every once in a while. He was probably concerned we would get lost or something. It annoyed me how he didn't seem to trust me at all. It wasn't my fault we got attacked by foxes.

I looked over at Leopardpaw. The white, gray spotted apprentice was still limping. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. If it wasn't for me standing still, he wouldn't have gotten bit. I could tell he was in pain even though he tried not to show it. His head was lifting and his gaze was confident, but I could see him wince a few times.

We crossed the Thunderpath and headed out of the tree area. It didn't take long to get back to the place we had slept at. The sun was starting to go down, making the sky a blazing red. It almost as beautiful as it was at dawn. I kept my eyes fixed on it as we padded on.

"Fox-dung!" I yelped as I hit a rock and tumbled forward. I landed on the ground with a smack. I blinked my icy blue eyes. The ground was hard and bare. It was a light brown, and when I stood, I noticed there were many rocks covering the area. I lifted my head. To my surprise, in front of us, were the mountains. They seemed to loom over us and were even bigger than before.

"You okay?" Leopardpaw inquired. He was looking at me with concern. I nodded my head, my eyes staying fixed on the mountain. My paws tingled with excitement. _We're almost there! Finally, I'll be able to find out everything!_

We strode forward. I could feel the ground beneath me slope upward, and the path we were on seemed to narrow. On one side was the huge wall of rock, and on the other side was a cliff. I made sure I stayed far away from it. I knew if anyone tripped, they would plummet to their death. I shivered at the thought.

"We will have to jump this," Flight declared. Without waiting for any reply he leapt across a spacing in the path, landing on the other side. I gulped. It was dangerous, but I was determined to make it to the tribe.

One by one, the warriors jumped across. Leopardpaw and I were the only ones left the other side. I hesitated, taking a step forward. Just one jump and I'd be heading to find out the truth. I trembled in anticipation. I felt Leopardpaw's tail gently brush my shoulder.

"Don't worry. It's just a little jump!" He purred cheerfully.

I murmured sarcastically as I readied myself to charge forward, "Right, and it's only a little fall?" I dashed forward at the split in the rock. Quickly, I leapt upward, making it to the other side. Leopardpaw landed after me. We then headed back off.

A strong wind buffeted against me. I had to unsheathe my claws and dig them into the ground to hang on. I could tell I wasn't the only one struggling out of the clan cats. Flight, however, seemed unaffected my it. He trailed on as if there was no wind at all.

I casted a glance down the side of the path. We were so high up that I couldn't even see the ground below. Clouds blurred my vision. It reminded me of my dream. It was just like it. It made me wonder how I saw everything so vividly even though I had never been on the mountains before. I couldn't help but look to the side of the wall of rock every so often in search of the cave in my dream. _Will I know where it is? What if I pass it without noticing! _

I decided to keep an intent glare to the wall of rock. I wouldn't risk my chance at finding out answers. That had been the whole reason I came to the mountains. As we kept walking on, I felt less certain that I would find the cat from my dreams. There were no spaces between the rocks that were big enough to fit any cat. _Where is it!_

"Look!" Leopardpaw's shout brought me out of my thoughts. I glanced forward seeing a flat area just around the corner of the path. Once we entered the flat area, to the side, I could see a bunch of water rushing down into a big area of water. It roared loudly in my ears.

Flight directed us to a cave. My eyes widened, and I dug my claws into the ground. _A cave! _I rushed forward, but I was stopped when a cat stepped out of the cave. I nearly tumbled into him with a gasp. It was an older tom with brown fur. He looked down at me with his yellow eyes.

"I see you brought help," A purr rumbled in the old tom's throat as he looked over us.

Flight dipped his head respectfully with a mew, "Yes, Stoneteller. These cats have offered to help us against the rogues." We all introduced ourselves to the tribe cat. He observed us carefully as we said our names.

"Welcome to the Tribe of Rushing Water."

**Yes, they finally made it! The poll to find out Leopardpaw's warrior name is still up on my profile page, so I hope you'll check it out! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	9. Rogue invasion

**18wanda-Thanks for reviewing!**

**Starlight-Those are good names, but I already have their names. I need a name for Leopardpaw, so if you have any, you can tell me.**

The moon was rising high in the midnight blue sky with the stars following its lead. The dim light shone down on the cats beneath it. They were all standing in a valley. The brown walls of the mountains rising higher above them and surrounding the area. The roaring of the waterfall rang loudly through the area.

"Come. I will show you where you can rest," Stoneteller, the old brown tom, stated as he turned to the cave entrance. Nightpaw glanced inside. It was mostly dark except the faint light that broke through the cracks in the rock.

When she noticed everyone had already entered, she quickly scrambled after them. She managed to reach them in time to hear Stoneteller talking. "Warriors can sleep with our prey hunters and cave guards,"- The brown tom motioned to one of the spacing in the rock wall- " Younger cats may sleep with our to-bes," The old cat then gestured to another den.

Nightpaw padded over to the den with Leopardpaw trailing close behind. The black she-cat was exhausted and ready to get some sleep. She was hoping she would have another dream as well. She hadn't been able to find any cave on her way to the tribe, so she had no idea where she was suppose to go.

When she stepped into the den, she noticed two shapes of sleeping cats. The white one stirred and tiredly opened an eye to reveal a light green color. The to-be instantly shot to her paws and prodded the other cat awake. Then the white cat walked closer to where she faced the unfamiliar cats.

"You must be those 'clan' cats!" The white she-cat exclaimed cheerfully. Her green eyes were bright and curious as she gazed at the apprentices. When Nightpaw nodded her head, she continued. "I'm Silent Rise of the Shining moon, but you can call me Silent. Who are you two?" She questioned. The words seemed to pour out of her mouth, and Nightpaw could barely comprehend what was being said.

"I'm Nightpaw, and this is Leopardpaw!" Nightpaw introduced with a small bounce. She was quivering slightly in excitement at talking to the tribe cat. She was now curious at how these tribe cats behaved.

The blue-gray tom who was sleeping sat up with a quiet yawn. He blinked his gray eyes at the apprentices before he mewed, "My name is Ripple that Runs Through water or just Ripple."

"You two can sleep wherever you want in here. There's a lot of room since there aren't many to-bes right now," Silent purred as she gestured her tail around the den. The two apprentices nodded before settling down nearby each other.

Nightpaw shifted uncomfortably when she felt a gaze bore down on her. She glanced behind her spotting Ripple giving her a curious look. The black she-cat tilted her head in confusion. She saw the blue-gray, white speckled tom give his fur a few embarrassed licks when noticing Nightpaw looking at him.

"Sorry," The tom mumbled. Then he added, " Are you really a to-be? Erm... I mean apprentice?" He questioned giving her an inquisitive look.

"Of course I am! I'm almost seven moons old!" Nightpaw leapt to her paws and glared at the tom. Her black fur was bristling in annoyance, and she narrowed her ice blue eyes. The tom gave her an apologetic nod.

"Oh, Here we aren't made to-bes until we are eight moons old. Sorry, I didn't know clan kits start training so early," He apologized before lying down next to Silent. Nightpaw settled back down with a quiet sigh. _The tribe is much different than the clan isn't it?_ She inquired in thought. _I wonder what I'll find out._

Nightpaw opened her jaws in a wide yawn. The black she-cat closed her eyes, letting sleep take over. She slipped into the familiar dream she had been having for a while now. She was standing outside that cave she saw in her last dream. The pair of amber eyes still shone inside.

"We will speak soon enough," The voice rumbled.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

I woke up to a ray of light, shining through a crack in the top of the den. I sat up and started grooming my black fur. It was messy from me rolling around in my sleep. I blinked my icy blue eyes in surprise when I felt a tongue lap over my ear, smoothing my fur. I quickly turned my head, looking to my side.

I noticed Leopardpaw had woken up. He turned his head away, and I could feel him grow warm in embarrassment. "You had some fur sticking up," The white and gray apprentice mumbled awkwardly. I watched as he shifted his paws and stood, walking out of the den. I felt disappointment flutter inside me for a second, but I shook it off.

I casted a glance around the den, seeing that the to-bes had already left. I quickly exited the den. I spotted Leopardpaw sitting close beside them and I hurried over. The scent of prey wafted over me, causing my stomach to growl. I licked my lips and sat down next to them.

I observed as both the to-bes took a bite of their prey then exchanged it. They went back and forth until the prey was finished. I tilted my head in confusion. _Was that another tribe custom? _I gave them a questioning look.

"In the tribe we share our prey, passing it between ourselves!" Silent purred happily. The white she-cat nudged a mouse and a small blue bird. I took the bird and started plucking the feathers out. When I was finished I took a bite, savoring the delicious taste of fresh-kill.

I was about to take another bite when Leopardpaw nudged me. He pushed the mouse over and pulled the bird away in his jaws. _I guess we'll be doing what tribe cats do as we live here. _I mused, taking a bite from the mouse. We continued the trade until both fresh-kill were eaten. My stomach felt warm and full.

"You should see if you can go on one of the hunts," Ripple broke the silence. I nodded eagerly in agreement. I wanted to see if the tribe hunted the same way we did. Anyway, I was bored just staying in the cave. Maybe I would find the cat who talked to me in my dreams.

Leopardpaw stood and strode over to where the warriors were talking to Stoneteller. I quickly followed after him. We stopped in front of them. I made sure to wait for them to finish their conversation before I spoke up.

"Can we join in one of your hunts!" I asked not being able to contain my anticipation. I gazed at Stoneteller with hopeful eyes.

"I am sorry, young cats. Nightpaw, you may go. Leopardpaw can join in hunting another time. With the rogues running around, I wouldn't want to send too many to-bes," The old, brown tom explained. Leopardpaw looked disappointed, but he said nothing. He nodded his head slowly.

I watched as Leopardpaw turned to leave. He murmured softly before padding away, "Be careful." His breath tickled my ear, making it twitch. I gave him a quick reassuring nod.

"You and Wolfheart will go on the hunt along with Rabbit that Hops on Rocks, Dove that Flies Up High and Hawk with Sharp Claws." He ordered, gesturing to each cat as he spoke.

By how they looked, I assumed Rabbit and Dove were prey hunters. Rabbit was all white except his tail, which was black and unusually short. Dove was a light gray color and had darker gray eyes. Hawk was a brown tabby tom. He was more muscular than the other two, so I guessed that he must've been a cave guard.

We left the cave and ambled through the valley. The ground was lightly covered in snow, and it felt cold under my paws. Not much time passed before I spotted a mouse. I glanced around, seeing no other cat go after it. Hawk stopped further back from the rest of us. The others seemed to just be standing around. _Guess I'll be able to show them how warriors hunt!_

I dropped into a crouch quickly, and I silently stalked forward. For a moment, I thought I could hear Wolfheart say something, but I was too caught up in hunting. When I was close enough, I immediately bunched my muscles and leapt. The mouse had no time to run before my teeth sank in the back of its neck. _I caught it! _I thought, pride surging through me.

A screech startled me, making me drop the mouse to the ground. A huge bird was swooping down close to my head. Before I could move, it swung at me again. I felt it's long talons pierce through my skin causing me to shriek. I froze in fear, unsure of what to do.

_Fool! Don't give up! Thrash and twist! Go for its neck! _A voice in my head seemed to shout. I instantly whipped around as the large bird started pulling me from the ground. I could hear paws pounding against the ground as the others raced to help. I pried away from it, sinking my teeth in its neck. My claws dug through feathers and into in its skin as I held on. I felt a new strength pulse through me and I snapped my teeth down harder. I could feel as the bird went limp. I fell a small ways down, landing on my paws.

"Are you alright?" Wolfheart inquired concernedly. He was looking over me for any other wounds.

"I'm... fine." I insisted between pants. I glanced over seeing the two prey hunters pick up the bird. Hawk was looking at me with curiosity shining in his yellow eyes. I shifted under his gaze and glanced away.

"We have lost many to-bes and even full grown cats to eagles. They are powerful creatures. I am greatly surprised you were able to kill it," Hawk mewed. I just shrugged. I was sure I would have be carried off. It was a surprise to me as well that I was able to face it and even kill it.

We soon returned to the camp with the mouse and eagle. On the way there, Rabbit had explained to me how they hunt in their tribe. It was defiantly different from ThunderClan. Well, different than any clan really.

I was crouched down, sharing some prey with Leopardpaw when Stoneteller leapt on a rock in the middle of the cave. Everyone stopped what they were doing and gazed at the old brown tom. It reminded me of a clan leader calling the clan for a meeting. It was just like Willowstar had done when she made me an apprentice.

"Tonight we eat well and get a good rest! Tomorrow we will be going after the rouges. Flight has found where they lived, and I believe it is best to attack them before they go after us," The old tom explained. His gaze swept around the tribe before he hopped down and left for his den.

After finishing my fill of fresh-kill, I headed to the to-be den. I was tired, and the pain on my back from the eagle's talons was still fresh. I settled down on the place where I had slept before, but I felt too restless to even close my eyes. I still hadn't found the cat who would give me answers, and I was getting worried that I wouldn't the longer it took. Then there was that sudden burst of power I got. It didn't seem to even be my own, and it confused me.

"Can't sleep?" A gentle voice asked. I instantaneously snapped out of my thoughts and glanced over to see Leopardpaw. I nodded slightly, and he continued, " Is it about the fight tomorrow?"

"Er... Yea," I lied, glancing down at my paws. I didn't want to tell anyone about the strange cat I saw in my dreams or about my little fight with the eagle. It's not like anyone would understand. I didn't even comprehend it myself.

"How about we go for a walk? Just the two of us?" He asked. I nodded in agreement. It would be nice to get some fresh air and clear my mind. I wasn't able to sleep anyway. Maybe spending a bit of time with Leopardpaw would even make me feel slightly better.

We quietly left the cave, careful not to wake any of the other cats. We then padded off through the valley. I didn't know exactly where we were going, and I doubted Leopardpaw did either. We stopped abruptly when we came to a cliff. I glanced over the edge, seeing clouds floating beneath. We both sat down.

"It's amazing, right? You know, in a way, it reminds me of you," The gray and white apprentice purred quietly. I was barely able to catch what he was saying. I followed his hazel gaze to the sky. It was dark black in color. The moon was rising up. It was a shining white color and stood out greatly in the contrast of the sky's black.

I didn't know what to say, so I stayed quiet. We sat that way for a while in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a comfortable one. It felt nice to forget about everything for a bit. It was relaxing.

I lied down with a content sigh. My one white paw hung over the cliff. Leopardpaw soon settled down beside me. I could feel his pelt brushing gently against mine. I glanced over at him and uttered, " We better get back before the others see that we are gone."

He laughed quietly, " Come on! They were all sleeping. Let's just take it easy for a while. Especially since tomorrow we'll be in that battle against the rogues." He had a point. It was nice just laying here. I sighed in defeat.

"Fine. You win!" I grumbled, causing him to snicker softly. I scoffed at him, " What are you laughing at?"

"You. You should loosen up," He purred and stood to his paws. His hazel gaze was fixed on me as he spoke.

"Now you're asking for it!" I growled playfully and pushed to my paws. I rapidly tackled him away from the cliff and stood over him. He nipped my paw, making me yelp quietly. He tripped me with his hind legs and pinned me to the ground. A smirk spread across his face.

"I know you can do better than that. I heard you took on some giant bird," He tilted his head to the side. His hazel eyes gleamed challengingly. I swiftly kicked him off and darted behind him, swiping my paws at his hind legs. I then nipped his shoulder.

He lashed a front paw out on me and I bit down on it gently. "If this was a real fight than I would give you some real good wounds!" I mumbled around my grip on his paw. He pulled away with a purr.

"I'm sure you would, and I bet you'll do great in the fight," He replied optimistically, but I could see worry glinting in his hazel gaze. It was obvious he was apprehensive about the fight. "Make sure you run if you have to."

"I'll be fine," I reassured with a side smile. I always hated it when others worried so much about my safety, but in a way, it felt nice to know they cared. A purr emitted from his throat, and he nodded his white, gray spotted head. I then added, "Just make sure you keep your mind fixed on your own battles."

I didn't want him getting injured because he was fusing over me. It wouldn't be the first time it happened. I had already gotten my friend bitten by a fox because I didn't run away from it. The wound made his fight with the kittypet harder for him. It ended up almost killing him.

We both sat back down on the cliff. I opened my jaws in a wide yawn. I was starting to feel tired, so I settled back down. It was nice and peaceful where we were. My eyes slowly closed. I could feel Leopardpaw laying down beside me.

Before I could fall asleep, a yowl rang through the air, "The rogues are attacking!" My black fur bristled and a growl rumbled in my throat. The rogues had decided to attack the tribe at night. It was a good move for them.

"Let's go! Hurry!" I exclaimed as I dashed off back to the cave. I was running full speed. The smell of unfamiliar cats was strong in the air, mixing with the scents of the tribes. I slid into the cave and glanced around rapidly. Cats were clashing, fighting fiercely. I spotted Wolfheart fighting a large brown tom. Silent was cornered by two cats.

I immediately raced over. I leapt onto one of the cat's, a gray she-cat, back. It yowled as I sank my teeth deeply in its scruff. I caught a glimpse of Silent fighting the other cat. The gray she-cat yowled and thrashed around. She went to drop onto her back, but predicting her move, I jumped away.

I lunged forward gripping her neck in my jaws. My claws pierced into her shoulders, causing her to shriek. The same energy I felt when fighting the eagle seemed to pulse through me. My teeth punctured deeper into her neck. I ignored as she clawed at my flank in attempt to get free. Her shrieks got quieter as she had a harder time breathing.

"Warriors don't kill to win!" I heard Wolfheart's yell. I let go of her neck at once. Her flanks were barely rising and falling as she twitched on the ground. The cat who was fighting Silent raced away, taking the gray she-cat with him. _I almost killed her. I felt so powerful. What was that? It was as if my body was moving on its own._

While I was frozen in confusion and thought I felt something slam into me. I tumbled against the ground, flinching in pain. Claws pierced my shoulders, and I glanced up to see a large white and black tom. He sneered digging his claws in deeper. I yowled in pain as I struggled to throw him off.

"This is the end of you, kit," The large tom mocked, and my breath caught in my throat. His teeth lunged forward, heading straight for my neck.

**Well, the poll to find out Leopardpaw's warrior name is still on my profile page. Hope you'll check it out and vote for your favorite!**


	10. Truth

**Gingersplash of Thunderclan-** Thanks for the reviews! I'm happy you like it! :) Also, thanks for the tribe names! I needed one for the cat Nightpaw kept seeing in her dreams.

**Amazium- **Thank you for reviewing and voting on the poll! Guess you will just have to keep reading to find out those answers! :p

**AwsmYoshi- **Thank you for the awesome review!I read that first sentence and was like, aww. Scared me for a second. Well, Of course it's fine if you draw them! I would love that!

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

Time seemed to slow as I waited for the impact of teeth to my throat. I was paralyzed in fear. I willed myself to move, but I had no luck. My body seemed to be frozen in place. His jaws were only a kitstep away.

"Stop! That's the one!" A hiss sounded loudly near us, making the black and white tom stop abruptly. His large paws still pinned me to the ground, but he lifted his head away.

The tom who was pinning me to the ground snorted, "Surely, Thorn, this scrawny kit can't be the one we are intended to retrieve?" The newer cat, a golden tom, swatted the other on the head with a growl.

"Well, Adder, This 'scrawny kit' clearly matches the description. If you weren't such a fool, you would have noticed that," The golden tom, who I assumed was Thorn, sneered. Many thoughts raced through my head. _What do they want from me? How did they know I would be here?_

I was brought out of my notions by Thorn's voice. The golden tom growled lowly, " Knock her out, and get out of here before anyone spots you. I'll take care of the rest."

Feeling that the black and white tom's weight on me lessoned, I quickly pried away from him. I leapt to my paws, flinching in pain. Before I could do anything else, a large paw slammed against my head, sending me sprawling against the ground. Pain seared through me as my skull clashed with a large stone. Everything went blank.

**Third Person P.O.V**

The black and white tom hoisted Nightpaw onto his back. Her much smaller mass felt like nothing on his muscular frame. He immediately headed for the exit of the cave, following Thorn's order. Before Adder was able to slip out the exit, a white, gray spotted tom jumped in front of him. Adder narrowed his dark brown, almost black, eyes.

"Get out of my way pip-squeak!" Adder's lips curled in a loud snarl. His large claws unsheathed, ready to plunge them into the smaller tom's neck.

The younger tom stood his ground. He glared defiantly back at Adder, causing him to grow angrier. A growl rumbled in his throat, "My name is Leopardpaw not 'pip-squeak'. Now, let go Nightpaw or else!"

"Or else what?" The black and white tom ventured. He sneered at Leopardpaw. A smirk plastered on his face.

"This!" Leopardpaw yowled as he leapt at Adder. His claws were outstretched, aiming straight for Adder's neck. The apprentice was thrown back by Adder crashing into his chest. Nightpaw rolled off his back, hitting the ground unconsciously with a thump. Leopardpaw rapidly scrambled to his paws and jumped onto Adder's now exposed back, sinking his claws in.

He punctured his teeth into the older cat's scruff roughly and thrashed his head. Adder snarled in pain and annoyance. The black and white tom dropped onto his back. The movement was quicker than Leopardpaw had anticipated. He was smashed under Adder's larger frame. Leopardpaw struggled to catch the breath his lungs screamed for. No matter how much he whipped around, Adder wouldn't budge. The apprentice felt his eyes slowly close.

Adder pulled himself off the younger cat, and he gazed down at him. The apprentice was laying unmoving on the ground, causing Adder to snicker. He padded over to Nightpaw's body and heaved it onto his back. Adder sighed mockingly, " Too bad I couldn't have a real challenge."

Upon leaving the cave, Adder could heard Thorn's yowl to retreat_. So that's his plan_. The black and white tom mused. _Get them caught up in winning and not notice this kit's disappearance. Well, I better be getting away from here. _Adder quickened his pace away from the Tribe of Rushing Water.

"Well done. I was worried the task would be too complicated for you," Thorn snickered as he jumped in to walk beside Adder. The black and white tom just flicked a ear.

"How did Master even know this she-cat would be here? It's obvious she doesn't live at the tribe," Adder questioned, glancing over at the golden tom. Thorn shrugged his shoulders idly. Then, he blinked his eyes in thought.

The golden tom snorted, "How am I supposed to know? All he ever told any cat was that she was part of our plans. Something about her being the 'future'." Thorn rolled his amber eyes as he spoke. To him, it seemed foolish to have anything to do with the black she-cat.

Adder flexed his claws against the ground. His whiskers twitched, and he sighed, "I suppose we shouldn't question Master's plans." Thorn nodded in agreement. They traveled the rest of the way back to their territory in silence.

**Meanwhile, at the tribe**

Leopardpaw groaned and pushed himself weakly to his paws. His mind felt fuzzy, and his vision was blurred for a moment. He instantly glanced around as he recalled what had occurred only a bit ago. _Where is Nightpaw! Did they capture her?_

Yowls of triumph rose and chimed around the cave. The white, gray spotted apprentice immediately rushed over to Wolfheart. He was talking to Stoneteller. The old tom was obviously satisfied of the outcome, and it seemed they were oblivious to Nightpaw's disappearance.

"The tribe is grateful for your help and-" Stoneteller started, but he was interrupted by Leopardpaw's urgent hiss.

"The rogues have taken Nightpaw! I saw one run off with her! We have to do something!" Leopardpaw could hear the hysteria in his own voice. The words were spilling rapidly off his tongue.

The apprentice could see worry flicker in Wolfheart's eyes. The gray warrior started yowling out Nightpaw's name. He dashed off searching for her around the cave. Leopardpaw clawed the ground in frustration. _Didn't he just hear what I said! The rogues took her!_

Leopardpaw raced off after Nightpaw's mentor. He slid in front of him to stop him from heading off again. The apprentice growled, " I told you the rogues took her! Let's send out a patrol and retrieve her before they hurt her!"

The gray and white tom watched as Wolfheart nodded in agreement. The gray warrior hurried over to Stoneteller with Leopardpaw trailing close behind. The old tom was unharmed from the battle. He had been hanging in his den being protected by a few cave guards. There wasn't a single scratch on him.

"Stoneteller, We have to send a patrol out to find Nightpaw. I'll be going with a few of the uninjured warriors. I would appreciate if we could borrow a couple of Cave guards or prey hunters, who aren't badly wounded." Wolfheart meowed. He dipped his head respectfully.

Stoneteller narrowed his eyes, " I am sorry, young cats. Our battle has been won, and I will not allow any more of my tribe to be hurt. We lost two cats already. If the rogues took her, It is most likely she is already dead."

Leopardpaw's eyes flared in rage. Every hair on his pelt bristled, and his sharp teeth showed as he growled. He was trembling in fury. The apprentice spat fiercely, " We risked_ our_ lives to help this mouse-hearted tribe, and you can't even repay us by helping us save a friend! You know, you are no better than rogues!"

Stoneteller looked taken aback for a moment. He promptly composed himself and glared back. His eyes lacked any emotion as he mewed, "If you want to go after her so badly, then do. I don't want to see any more deaths today."

"I will. Come on Wolfheart. Gather up the least injured warriors and let's go rescue Nightpaw," Leopardpaw directed. Wolfheart nodded his head, not caring that he was being given orders by an apprentice. He too, was desperate to save his apprentice.

"Jaggedrock and Mistyfur, you two seem to be in the best shape. Nightpaw has been taken captive, and Leopardpaw and I are going after the rogues to save her. Will you help us?" Wolfheart inquired, looking at the two other warrior with hopeful eyes. Mistyfur nodded her tortoiseshell head.

"If my apprentice is going, I suppose I should go as well. Anyway, I won't let you have all the excitement," Jaggedrock replied, flicking his ear nonchalantly. Wolfheart felt a pleased purr rise in his throat. He gave the brown, darker flecked, tom a gratified look.

Jaggedrock, Leopardpaw, Mistyfur and Wolfheart gathered by the cave exit. They were ready to head off. Jaggedrock flexed his claws in anticipation. Wolfheart and Leopardpaw both had determination shining in their eyes. Mistyfur waited eagerly, her tail flicking.

"Let's go find Nightpaw," Leopardpaw stated.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

My head throbbed in pain, and I let out a quiet groan. I wasn't moving any of my limbs, but I felt the steady swaying of movement. That's when I remembered what had happened. I was being carried by the tom, who, not long ago, was about to murder me. I felt a chill run up my spine. _Where are they taking me?_

I stayed silent as the trip to wherever we were going continued. I didn't want to risk speaking and end up being slammed in the head again. The pain was still so fresh. The swaying suddenly stilled when the black and white tom ceased moving.

"Ah, Master, we brought the she-cat you wanted us to get," Adder meowed smoothly. His head bent forward in a respectful gesture. I almost slipped off his back. I instantly dug my claws in his fur. I felt the black and white tom flinch.

The golden tom smirked. He murmured, "Looks like the kit is awake. Shall I knock her out again, Master Crimson?" My muscles tensed as I waited for their 'master's' reply. Thorn's question was answered with a shake of the flame colored tom's head.

"Bring her," The red tom instructed. I pushed myself off Adder's back, only to be dragged by the scruff. I growled rebelliously, thrashing in his grip.

I spat angrily, " I have legs!" I pried out of his grip and followed after Crimson. My tail lashed agitatedly behind me. I was already worried about what they would do to me, and I had enough of being carried around. I guessed the fact that they hadn't attacked me yet was good.

We stopped in the clearing that was positioned in the middle of the area. I glanced around the area. There were dens, and it somewhat resembled a clan camp. I could feel gazes directed on me, and I tried to hide my discomfort. Crimson turned to look at me. His amber eyes showed... _delight?_

"What do you want from me!" I growled lowly. I was glowering at the red cat. My eyes narrowed. I felt my fur rise when he grinned.

"Master will explain everything to you," Adder confirmed. Crimson nodded his head slowly. I dug my claws in the ground as I waited. I was trembling in anticipation at finding out why they had brought me there.

"You are destined to help us rise again. You were the cat chosen by _our _ancestors. Do you not know? _He_ is part of you!" Crimson's eyes were gleaming blissfully. _What is he talking about?_

My mouth stayed close. I remained silent. Crimson narrowed his amber eyes and heaved an irritated sigh, " You do not know." It was more of a statement than a question. I shrugged my shoulders in confusion. _This cat is crazy._I noted inwardly.

"Bring out the prisoner!" Crimson yowled the order. Two cats Instantly shot out of one of the dens. An old she-cat with cream colored fur was being dragged between them. They threw the elder to the ground. She landed painfully against the hard floor, looking up with dull amber eyes. The pair of amber pools stared right at me. My mind immediately flashed, and I saw the image of the cat in the cave.

The cream-colored elder sat up, wincing slightly. Her eyes filled with sorrow as she gazed at me. The old she-cat rasped, "Hello, young Nightpaw, my name is Morning Call of Early Bird."

"You-You're the cat. The one I saw in my dreams!" I gaped at Morning. My eyes were wide pools of ice blue. She nodded her head solemnly. _Why does she look so upset?_ I blinked and mewed quietly, "Wait... Aren't you a tribe cat?"

"Yes. I was brought here because of an ability I possess," Her voice was somber as she spoke. She was a prisoner here. _That must be why she is distressed. _I guessed.

Crimson's growl interrupted our conversation. He was glaring at the old cream-colored she-cat. The red tom's snarl was curt, "Enough talking. Show her the truth." My eyes showed great confusion. I wondered what he meant by that.

"I cannot. Not with all these cats around. I will tend to it at the den," Morning answered. She was looking at Crimson with no fear in her eyes. Crimson flexed his claws with a growl, but he nodded his head in agreement. He muttered a 'fine'. I trailed after the elder to the den.

She sat down behind a large leaf. I settled down across from her, watching her warily. She pulled over a few dried plants, and the elder started breaking them into pieces with her paws. She continued to knead them gingerly as she murmured inaudible words under her breath. She stopped when all that was left of the plants was a powder.

Her amber eyes gazed into my blue ones. She had an apologetic look on her face. The cream she-cat leaned over until her muzzle was near my ear. "Forgive me," She whispered gently. Her voice was soft but mysterious. Panic started to rise in my chest. _What is she going to do?_

She waved her tail almost touching the powder. It flew into the air, surrounding the den and blurring my vision. I opened my mouth to say something, but I suddenly felt dizzy. Everything seemed fuzzy. Next thing I knew, I tumbled to the ground and blacked out.

When I opened my eyes, I didn't see the darkness of the den. I was standing in a grassy area. Four tall trees loomed high above me as I glanced up. A voice spoke, startling me. I gazed around quickly, and to my surprise, many cats were lined up around the trees.

"My clan and I fight when I choose," I glanced to the side seeing a small black cat. A purple collar hung around his neck with many teeth sticking out. My fur rose up. This cat wasn't just any cat. The cat looked exactly like me. The only real difference was that it was a tom. It was like looking in the lake. The strikingly similar cat was speaking to a large, brown tabby. He turned his head to a fiery colored cat and added, "I will think about what you have said. There will be no battle today."

The brown tabby crouched down. His fur bristled furiously. "Traitor!" He screeched and leapt at the black tom. His claws were outstretched. The black tom slid to one side, making the tabby miss. The brown tom landed and turned to face the other cat. He sent a blow to the bigger cats shoulder, making him stagger and fall onto his side. The black tom pierced his sharp claws into the other's throat. I watched in horror as the black cat ripped the brown one all the way down to his tail.

The brown tabby screamed once then started to choke. Blood pooled around his wounded body. I felt sick from the sight. The brown cat's frame would jerk. Then, it would go still. It kept repeating this over again. Crimson's words rang in my head. _He is part of you. Show her the truth._

"No, That's not me!" I screeched, "That's not me!" My whole body trembled uncontrollably.

Suddenly the vision changed. I was in the same area with the four trees, but a battle was taking place. Cats clashed all around the area. Blood flew in the air, filling it with it's disgusting scent. My icy gaze turned to the cat who looked like me.

"Firestar!" The black cat snarled and leapt at the ginger cat. They rolled against the ground, the ginger cat, who I assumed was Firestar, ended up pinning the other down. The black cat pried away and raked his claws across the bigger cats shoulder. Firestar slammed into the black cat, leaving him paralyzed for a moment as he hit a large rock. He quickly stood and charged at Firestar, landing another blow with his long claws. Before the ginger cat could get away, the smaller one reared on his legs and landed a deathly blow. Blood splattered onto the ground.

"Stop! Please! That's not me! I don't want to see this!" I screeched, horrified at what I had just saw. Tears welled up in my eyes and quickly streamed down my face. The ground beneath my paws seemed to shift as the scenery changed. I prayed I wouldn't be seeing any more of this.

My ice blue eyes flashed open, and I glanced rapidly around. I was back in the dimly lighted den at the rogue's camp. The powder from the herbs was cleared. Crimson sat across from me next to the elder. He was looking at me expectantly, causing me to tremble.

I shuddered as I began to sob. The images I had just seen kept flashing in my mind. I willed them to go away, but they wouldn't. That black cat with the one white paw. He looked exactly like me. His ice blue eyes reflected my own. _Is it true? No-No it can't be! _I shouted in my head.

"That... wasn't me!" I shrieked between sobs. I could see Morning give me a look of sympathy through my tear-blurred eyes. She brought her tail onto my shoulder, stroking it gently. I lied on the ground not bothering to move.

"He is part of you," Morning murmured quietly.

**The poll on my profile page is still up. Leopardstorm is in the lead, so if you think there's one that is better on there, I hope you'll vote! Reviews are appreciated.**


	11. The Rescue

**Gingersplash of Thunderclan**- No problem! Thanks for giving me the name! :)

The pale light of dawn shone down on the cats. Wolfheart, Leopardpaw, Mistyfur and Jaggedrock crouched behind a bush. The green leaves swayed gently against the early morning breeze. Dim sunlight and shade dappled the diverse pelts of the four squatting clan cats. They were peering out through their hiding place, and they looked out at what resembled a camp. Not many cats were in the clearing. The few that were, gulped down fresh-kill.

"We are too outnumbered to fight. Let's figure out which den Nightpaw is in and sneak her out," Wolfheart hissed quietly to the other felines. He could smell the faint scent of Nightpaw lingering around the area. To Wolfheart's relief, no blood could be seen around the rogues hideout.

Jaggedrock, the sharp-tongued ShadowClan warrior, snorted, "Easier said than done." Wolfheart couldn't help but agree with the brown, darker flecked, tom. The camp was swarming with rogues. Although most were asleep, if even one cat spotted them, they were hopeless. Unlike fighting another clan, rogues wouldn't hesitate to murder another cat. Especially one that was trespassing onto their territory.

"I'll go down and search for which den she is in!" Wolfheart could hear Leopardpaw mew. He seemed as eager as Wolfheart to find the young apprentice. It made the gray warrior's fur prick with suspicion. _We've been traveling together, and both of them are apprentices. They're obviously going to become closest. _Wolfheart reminded himself.

The fluffy gray warrior shook his head. He stated quickly, "No, I'll go. My pelt will blend in better with the bare gray stone. You're fur would be too easily spotted."Leopardpaw opened his mouth to protest but instantly clamped it shut. The white and gray apprentice seemed to understand what Wolfheart had said.

"Be careful. May StarClan be with you. If something goes wrong, we'll come and help immediately," Mistyfur's gentle voice promised. Wolfheart nodded to the tortoiseshell and white she-cat.

The young gray warrior slunk around the bush they had been hiding behind. He didn't want to risk the rogues hearing the stir of the leaves as he pushed through. He started padding down the small slope that lead to the camp. He was only a few fox-lengths away now. As silent as he could, he gazed into the hideout from the entrance. He could see no cats hanging around. _They must be sleeping still_. The ThunderClan warrior guessed.

He soundlessly entered the camp and strode over to the first den he saw. He was acting as if stalking prey. His tail laid still, and he took light steps. He poked his broad head through the first den. The cats inside looked like younger ones. They looked to be about the ages of apprentices. _These rogues are strangely alike to a clan_. Wolfheart mused in confusion.

He searched through a few more dens not getting any sight of Nightpaw's familiar black and white coat. He found one den with cats that seemed to be the age of warriors. Another den contained a she-cat that was expecting kits. In the last den he had checked, there was only one cat in. The light reflected against its dark ginger fur, making it seem to glow. He guessed this cat was the leader.

Finally, he headed to the last den. _Maybe it's a medicine cat den?_ The gray tom thought as he peered into the darkness. The den didn't have the familiar, sweet scent of herbs. Instead, it reeked of a bitter scent of dried plants. The smell was strong, making it harder to distinguish any other scents.

The fluffy tom shook his head clear and gazed around. He could see two cats. The first was obviously asleep. It's flanks rose and fell slowly, and soft snoring sounds left its mouth. His yellow stare turned to the other cat. This cat was smaller. It's dark pelt barely visible in the den. A sudden waft of scent hit Wolfheart's nose, and his ears pricked with relief. _Nightpaw!_

He rushed over to his apprentice, forgetting about the accompany of the other cat. "Nightpaw!" Wolfheart exclaimed, louder than he wished to. The black she-cats head instantly shot up, and she gazed at him. Her blue eyes looked dull and distant, causing Wolfheart to frown in worry. _Did something happen? _

He grabbed the small she-cat by the scruff and hauled her to her paws. She staggered slightly before balancing herself. She looked frail and tired. Wolfheart decided he would keep his questions for a different time. He turned to leave, but when his apprentice didn't budge, he hurried over and gave her a shove. He saw her eyes widen in surprise as if she had forgotten his presence.

She gave him a tiny nod and scurried after him as they went to exit the den. A voice made both young cats freeze. "Where are you going?" A raspy voice questioned. Wolfheart realized the other cat had woken up. He had been reckless to act so loudly. The gray warrior unsheathed his claws. He was ready to fight the cat if it tried to yowl for the rest of the rogues.

"I'm taking Nightpaw back with us!" He growled quietly. His face turned to the cream-colored she-cat. The cat looked back at him and nodded slowly.

"I understand. I am glad you came back for her. They never did for me," The cream-colored cat replied solemnly. The gray warrior felt sympathy burn inside him. _Did the rogues take her away from where she lived as well?_

Nightpaw, finally seeming to notice what was going on, piped up, "Won't you come with us, Morning? We can bring you back to your tribe?" The black she-cat inquired. The apprentice seemed hesitant to ask but did. She didn't meet Morning's gaze. Her ice blue eyes were fixed on her paws.

"No. If I go they will be sure to come back to the tribe. Perhaps if I stay, I can stop them from doing anything reckless. They wouldn't dare kill a wise, old cat like me," Although her voice had a serious tone, the much older cat had mischief gleaming in her amber eyes. Wolfheart nodded his head quickly.

Giving his apprentice a final nudge, he crept out of the den. Nightpaw started to follow. As she passed by Morning, the old she-cat whispered in her ear. "Beware the cats who dwell in the darkness and strike only when the time is right." The black she-cat felt an ice cold chill run up her spine. Rapidly, she scrambled out of the den after Wolfheart. She didn't even bother acknowledging the elder.

Before the two cats could exit the rogue's camp, a fiery red tom slid in front of them. It was Crimson, the leader of the rogues. His pelt glowed brightly under the light. "And where do you think you two are going?" The tom sneered. Wolfheart unsheathed his claws, ready to fight off the cat. His heart sank when he saw two other cats, one black and white and the other golden, stand beside their leader.

_StarClan help us!_ He thought desperately. He slid himself in front of Nightpaw and growled at the three rogues. He spat boldly, "Away from here." The red tom launched himself at the gray warrior. They crashed in a fury of gray and red fur. The other two toms turned their gaze to Nightpaw. They snickered and advanced on her.

"Stay away from her!" A voice screeched. A flash of gray and white fur bowled into the black and white tom. Two other cats leapt forward and attacked the golden one. Nightpaw stood still in silence. A remote look misted her eyes. Her face lacked any emotion.

Wolfheart felt pain sear through his side as the dark ginger tom clawed him. Wolfheart twisted away and lunged forward, heading for the other tom's throat. Crimson rapidly moved to the side, making Wolfheart grip his shoulder instead. Wolfheart pierced his back claws into the red tom's stomach. Crimson yowled and thrashed around. The ginger tom dug his fierce claws into Wolfheart's chest, prying him away. Wolfheart let out a yelp of pain as he was overpowered. Crimson pinned the young warrior to the ground.

Suddenly, the weight of Crimson was lifted off of him. Jaggedrock held the ginger tom by the scruff and tossed him onto the ground. The ginger tom scrambled to his paws and hissed. The other two rogues backed up toward him. They had been beaten by the clan cats. Immediately all the forest cats, except Nightpaw, turned and left. Wolfheart had to grab his apprentice by the scruff and drag her away.

"Let them go," Wolfheart could hear Crimson growl, "The one we want will be back soon enough," Wolfheart could barely hold back the growl that was rising in his throat. Surely, they didn't believe Nightpaw would deliberately go back to them? _Those cats are mouse-brains!_ The gray warrior snarled in his mind.

The cats soon returned to the tribe. No rogues had followed them as far as they could tell. Wolfheart set Nightpaw down gently, and she struggled slightly on unsteady paws. The gray warrior gave his apprentice a nudge. She silently padded into the cave. Her tail dropping, and her head was hung as she walked. Wolfheart couldn't help but feel worried. His apprentice was usually cheerful and determined. The way she was acting now was strange for her.

"Are you alright?" Wolfheart questioned softly. The she-cat nodded her head with a murmur of 'fine'. The black she-cat then headed to the to-be den. Wolfheart expected her to be hungry, but she didn't even give the pile of fresh-kill a glance.

Wolfheart heard Leopardpaw growl and instantaneously glanced up. Stoneteller was padding over to them. His expression was unreadable as he reached the cats. The old cat dipped his head and sat in front of them.

He uttered, "I am sorry. I didn't believe there was any way she would be alive or that any cat would be able to save her." Wolfheart bit back a sharp retort. He stopped himself when he saw the genuinely apologetic look in the old tom's eyes. When he heard Jaggedrock let out a disbelieving snort, he sent him a warning glance. "You may rest here as long as you need," Stoneteller added.

"Thank you," The gray warrior answered respectfully. He dipped his head to the cat. With all of them injured, there was no way they could leave anytime too soon.

**Nightpaw's P.O.V**

A whole moon had passed, and we were still at the tribe. Wolfheart insisted we stayed until we were sure the rogues wouldn't return. The other cats didn't protest with the idea. Well, everyone except Jaggedrock. In the end, It was agreed that we would reside there until it was sure. Everyone participated in hunts and even patrolled the territory. I, however, kept to myself most of the time.

The whole rogue thing still bothered me. I had a hard time sleeping as well. Every time I would close my eyes, the horrible images of the cat, who looked exactly like me, flashed into my mind. The scenes were so vivid, it was as if I had lived through them.

I wondered why StarClan would have sent me to the mountains. I didn't get any answers I wanted. All I got was to watch horrible murders._ But what if StarClan wasn't the one who sent me the mountain dreams? _Fear pricked at my paws. It could have been the elder, Morning. My eyes widened as I recalled what Crimson had said.

He had said something about his ancestors. The way he said it made me certain he wasn't talking about StarClan. He had told me I was chosen by them. I had no idea what he meant by that. It agitated me, and I couldn't ever get it off my mind.

It was still dark when I left the tribe, and I headed to the place Leopardpaw and I had went to the night before the rogue attack. The images I kept seeing troubled me. No matter how much I willed them to go away, they didn't. I could only hope going back to that relaxing place would ease my nerves.

I sat down on the ledge, and I lifted my black furred head. My ice blue eyes gazed at the sky. It was a dark, midnight blue. The moon was high in the sky, and it was almost full. I guessed it would only be a two or three sunrises before the gathering. Stars glittered throughout the sky.

"Can I join you?" A voice asked, startling me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Leopardpaw. I frowned slightly. I didn't feel like talking to anyone. I knew they would start asking me questions, and that's why I tried my best to avoid their company after we returned from the rogue camp.

I answered more coldly than I wanted, "No." I saw him flinch at my tone, but he sat down next to me anyway. Despite my indifferent response, he looked at me with a good spirited expression. I scowled at the white, gray spotted apprentice.

"Did you not hear me?" I growled out the question. He looked hurt and turned his gaze away from me. I let out an irritated sigh.

"You've been so... distracted lately. I just thought you would enjoy some company," He grumbled, not looking at me anymore. I shrugged my black coated shoulders. I settled down, letting my one white paw hang over the ledge.

I mewed plainly, " I just have a lot on my mind. That's all." He gave me a sympathetic look. He put on a thoughtful expression. After a moment of silence, he spoke up.

"How about we do something to take your mind off of it then? Like... go for a swim!" He hopped to his paws and purred. I sat up and looked over at him. A small smile tugged at my muzzle from his cheerful voice.

I nodded my head and followed after him. Swimming wasn't something I had ever done, so, despite my mood, I felt eager to try it. "Since when did you become a RiverClan cat?" I teased. I suddenly felt happy to have him with me. He was always able to make me feel better.

When we reached the river, he slid inside with a shiver. "It's freezing!" He shrilled. I allowed a quiet giggle as I sat on the river bank. "You coming in?" He added, casting me a questioning look. I quickly shook my head after poking a paw in.

"It's cold," I complained, glaring at the river. Before I could react, I felt teeth grip my paw gently and tug me in. I stumbled in with a splash. I could feel smooth rocks under my paw pads. The river was shallow enough for me to keep my head above, while touching the bottom.

I shivered as the current rushed around my sleek black fur. It was strong, but it wasn't strong enough to knock me off my paws. "burr," I quivered. My teeth chattered slightly as I pulled myself out of the freezing water. I watched as Leopardpaw leapt out and sat down beside me.

"You know you can tell me anything you want to," He stated. His voice was gentle. He gazed over at me with seriousness shining deep in his hazel pools. My eyes darkened as I recalled the events that had occurred a moon ago. I felt the other apprentice give me a reassuring lick to the cheek.

"It's hard to explain. The rogues... They showed me something I wish I didn't see. It's just really confusing and doesn't make sense." I murmured, hesitating for a moment. I quickly added in, "Don't worry about it. I-I'm fine."

I saw him eyeing me in confusion, but he didn't persist any further. "So, that's what's been making you so upset lately?" When I gave him a tiny nod, he continued, "You shouldn't let it bother you too much. Every question is answered in time. Whatever you found out shouldn't bring you down."

I cracked a small smile. "You're right." I agreed, "I'll just keep working hard to be the best warrior I can be. I'll try not to strain myself so much in... finding out." I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt. Inwardly I was feeling just about as hopeless as when I first left the cave. Having Leopardpaw around did ease my worry a bit though.

A breeze stirred my cold, wet fur causing me to shiver. Both of out pelt's stayed plastered to our frames. The wind was growing stronger, and it felt colder. "We should get back to the cave before we breeze," Leopardpaw purred softly and stood to his paws. He padded away, and I slowly followed after him.

When I casted a look at the sky, I noticed the sun was beginning to rise. It wouldn't be long before the others had woken up. Determined not to have Wolfheart fussing over me, I quickened the pace. My ears pricked forward at the familiar sight of the tribe entrance.

We both slid inside. Leopardpaw entering first with me trailing right behind. I spotted Wolfheart stretching outside of the warriors den. His ears flicked when his gaze landed on me, and he strode over to us. I heaved a sigh as I readied myself for his questions. He looked over both of us.

"Where have you two been?" He inquired. I shrugged my shoulders indifferently. He sighed, "Never mind that. I came to tell you we are leaving just before sunhigh. Get something to eat and try to rest."

I nodded my head and Leopardpaw mewed an 'okay'. I scooped up a mouse in my jaws before padding into the to-be den. Both silent and Ripple were still asleep in their nests. Their flanks rose and fell steadily. I settled down in mine, gulping down the fresh-kill. My pink tongue lapped over my lips and lied my head down. I yawned widely, feeling Leopardpaw sink down in the nest beside mine. I soon let my much needed sleep take over.

**Leopardstorm is still in the lead. If you think there's a better name, make sure to vote! Also, I posted the current allegiances of my story on my profile page, so if you were wondering about them, you can check that out.** **You might notice that a few cats are no longer on them. That's because, over the seven moons, some cats have died.**


	12. Border Disputes

**Gingersplash of Thunderclan- Thanks for the review! All your questions will be answered eventuallly! :)**

**SnowHeart- Thank you for reviewing. I'm happy that you like it!**

**So, here's Chapter 11. Hope you enjoy! Reviews are appreciated!**

Nightpaw woke to a paw jabbing her flank. The black she-cat quickly scrambled to her paws and glanced around the dimply lighted den. Leopardpaw stood on her side. Ripple and Silent were both still dozing off. Her icy gaze turned to the to-be den exit. Wolfheart was standing right outside. An impatient look was clear in his eyes.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Nightpaw grumbled, pushing passed her gray mentor. She could hear paw steps behind her, alerting her that the other two were following. The apprentice padded over to the pile of fresh-kill that was set in the middle of the cave. It was full of prey, and it looked freshly stocked.

Wolfheart walked to her side. The gray warrior stated, "We are leaving right away. Eat something. Then, meet me outside the cave. The others are already waiting on you." Nightpaw gave him a curt nod. She chose a smaller bird out of the pile and settled down to eat.

She instantly wished she had chosen something else. She had to work on pulling out the birds feathers. The black she-cat finally was able to bite into her prey. She soon finished it, hoping that her mentor wouldn't be too upset at her. She swiped her pink tongue across her muzzle. It had taken her longer than she had hoped to finish of her meal.

Nightpaw headed to the tribe exit. Faint rays of light shone in through the open space in the rock. She guessed it was only dawn. Her presumption was confirmed when she slipped out the exit. The sun was barely rising above the horizon. It gave the sky that diverse shades of colors. It was a sight the young apprentice always enjoyed.

It took two days to arrive at the place they had originally met. The scents of forest prey wafted around them, causing Nightpaw's stomach to growl loudly. The grass felt a greater amount softer under paw than the usual bare rock floor in the mountains. The smell of fresh border patrols from both RiverClan and WindClan made Nightpaw's paws prick eagerly to return home.

The sleek black she-cat watched the other cats say goodbye to one another. Nightpaw couldn't help but feel disappointed at leaving these other cats. They had traveled all the way to the mountains and back. All eight cats had spent more than a moon together. They hunted, patrolled territories, fought and explored new areas together.

"Bye, Nightpaw. I hope we see each other soon. Maybe at the gathering tonight or other ones," Nightpaw was brought out of her thoughts by Leopardpaw's mew. He was looking at her with a sad expression. A purr caught in her throat. She had grown especially close to the ShadowClan apprentice during their journey. She didn't want to say goodbye to her good friend.

"I'll try extra hard to get Willowstar to let me go to the gathering, so we can see each other," Nightpaw promised. She could see Leopardpaw's eyes brighten up slightly. He nodded his head in agreement before turning and padding after Jaggedrock. The ShadowClan and RiverClan cats soon left her sight.

Wolfheart turned with a flick of his tail, signaling for her to follow. Obeying, she ambled off after her mentor. They traveled with the two chosen WindClan cats until they arrived at the stream that bordered the two clans. Nightpaw guessed they were making sure that Wolfheart and she left.

It was nearly Sunhigh when they made it to camp. Many of the cats sat in the clearing sharing tongues. "Go get some rest," Wolfheart ordered his apprentice. Before she could protest, he added, "Don't worry. I know we missed the last gathering, so you probably want to attend this one. I'll talk to Willowstar." Nightpaw purred her thanks and scurried to the apprentice den.

**Wolfheart's P.O.V**

I watched as my apprentice left the clearing and went into her den. I would talk to Willowstar a bit later. I had someone else I had to see first. My yellow eyes scanned the area for any sight of the familiar dark gray pelt. I peeked into the warriors den with no luck of finding her. I felt my heart sank. _What if she got hurt? Maybe she's just on a patrol or hunting._

"Looking for Cinderstreak?" A gentle voice questioned. I looked up to see the white coat of Hazelpool. She was purring, and her hazel eyes shone under the sun. I nodded rapidly, following as the medicine cat lead me to where I guessed Cinderstreak would be. To my surprise, She guided me straight to the nursery.

I curiously peered inside. I slid in and glanced around. On the ground lied Cinderstreak on her side. Her belly was swollen with unborn kits. I felt a purr rising in my throat. My sister was expecting kits! I gave her an affectionate lick to the ear. She returned the gesture.

"Who's the father?" I inquired. My curiosity got the better of me. I knew there were many she-cats who decided not to mention the father for various reasons. Thankfully, Cinderstreak seemed happy to respond. Her dark blue eyes shone deeply with happiness.

She purred loudly, "Bramblethorn." I pictured the brown tom. He had just been made a warrior when we were made apprentices. He was a kind cat who had visited us many times when we were kits in the nursery. It didn't surprise me that Cinderstreak took him on as her mate. I had often seen the two together, sharing tongues.

"That's great!" I exclaimed cheerfully, giving her another friendly lick. I smiled at my sister and mewed, "I'll make sure the apprentices remember to bring you fresh-kill." With that, I turned and strode out of the nursery.

The sun was high in the sky, warming the area. I headed to Willowstar's den immediately. I had told Nightpaw I would have a word with our leader. Every apprentice was always eager to go to their first gathering. I knew my apprentice was probably upset that she missed the other gathering while we were on our mission.

"Willowstar?" I asked as I stood outside of the leader's den. I waited for her to tell me to enter. I slipped into her dark den, and I sat down. She nodded her head for me to speak. "I came to ask if Nightpaw can go to the gathering. She missed the last gathering, so I think it's only fair if she goes to this one. She's resting right now, so she'll be ready to go to it," I explained.

"Alright, Wolfheart. She may go. Oh, you will be attending it as well," She stated. I dipped my head respectfully, and I stalked out of her den. I headed to the apprentice den to tell Nightpaw the news. When I came to the entrance, I saw Nightpaw talking to Sagepaw.

I looked at the two of them and uttered, "Nightpaw, Willowstar has chosen to let you go." I saw her black fur bristle in excitement. She bounced to her paws and tackled Sagepaw. The two apprentices rolled around on the floor in a bundle of fur. An amused purr emitted from my throat.

**Third Person P.O.V**

"Did you hear that! I'm going to the gathering!" Nightpaw chirped gleefully as she pinned her brother to the ground. The ginger tom gave her a cuff to the ear. He pushed her off and stood to his paws, shaking the dust from his pelt.

He looked as excited as her. He replied, "Of course I did, Mouse-brain! You'll love it! There's cats from all the clans everywhere! Last time, I talked to a few RiverClan apprentices!" The words spilled out of Sagepaw's mouth rapidly.

"Is Tigerpaw going to the gathering as well?" The black she-cat questioned, giving Sagepaw a curious look. She sat down in the den, wrapping her tail neatly over her paws.

"Tiger_stripe_," Sagepaw corrected, lifting his head up high. He then added, "He was made a warrior a few sunrises ago. I can't wait till that's us!" His green eyes shone brightly in the dark den. Nightpaw nodded in agreement.

A yowl interrupted their conversation, "Cats of ThunderClan, It's time we headed to the gathering!" Both Nightpaw and Sagepaw swiftly scrambled out of the den and toward the group of gathered ThunderClan cats. They followed as Willowstar led them away from camp.

They arrived at the area the chosen cats had met to begin their mission. Nightpaw noticed a fallen tree that was set in the river, creating a pathway to the other side. The sleek black apprentice leapt onto the tree and dug her claws into the slippery bark. Cautiously, she ambled across the tree.

She noticed all the other clans were already seated. She weaved her way through the gathered cats in search of the familiar gray and white pelt of Leopardpaw. She felt disappointment prick at her paws when she didn't see him. She sat down near a few elders with a sigh.

"Looking for me?" A quiet voice asked. Nightpaw glanced over to see the ShadowClan apprentice Leopardpaw. The black she-cat felt a purr rise in her throat. It was nice to see the cat she had become good friends with.

Nightpaw whispered back, "Darkstar let you come! That's great!" She had to hold back from launching herself playfully at the other apprentice.

"Yea. Darkstar said this would be an important gathering. He allowed more cats than usual to come." Leopardpaw answered with a shrug. Nightpaw gazed around the gathered cats. It was true. She noticed that there were more ShadowClan scents than of any other clan. It looked like Darkstar had brought almost his entire clan with him.

"Cats of the clans, I have an announcement to make," It was Darkstar speaking, "We ask ThunderClan to hand back over the strip of land. We wish to change the border to the stream." Yowls of protest rang through the clearing. Nightpaw felt her own fur starting to bristle.

"Nonsense that territory had been ours since I was kitted! It holds valuable prey to ThunderClan!" Stoneshade, a ThunderClan elder, rasped loudly behind Nightpaw. The black pelted apprentice could see many ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats facing each other. Their fur lifted and teeth bared. Nightpaw felt Leopardpaw tense beside her.

Willowstar lifted her gray head to gaze around the gathered cats. She replied coolly, "Thunderclan will not hand over that strip of land. It has been ours for moons upon moons, and I don't plan on giving it away."

"Then you will be giving yourselves a fight. ShadowClan claims that area as ours!" Darkstar snarled as he faced the ThunderClan leader. Willowstar glared back defiantly. Her own pelt was bristling and a small growl left her mouth. Willowstar was about to send back a sharp retort, but before she could say anything, clouds covered the moon.

"This gathering is over!" Boulderstar, The RiverClan leader, yowled loudly. The cats below broke up and followed after their leaders. Nightpaw casted a wary look to Leopardpaw, who was beginning to stand beside her.

Leopardpaw's hazel gaze clouded in concern. He looked over at her and murmured, "I have to go. Be careful." Nightpaw nodded her head slowly and mewed a 'bye'. The black she-cat spotted Wolfheart ahead of her, and she hurried over to him. He looked as apprehensive as Leopardpaw did.

"Do you really think ShadowClan will try to take over part of our territory?" She inquired quietly to her mentor. His only answer was a small nod. Fear burned inside her. _What if they ambush us while we are patrolling? What if I have to fight Leopardpaw!_

When they entered camp, Nightpaw went straight to her nest. She was exhausted from both the gathering and the journey. She felt her brother settle down beside her. The den felt awfully deserted. With only two apprentices, there was so much room around them.

Nightpaw closed her eyes. Unease jabbing at her like a claw. Curling her tail over her nose, the young, black she-cat managed to fall into a light sleep. As much as she hoped it wouldn't come to a battle, she could only wait and see.

** Nightpaw's P.O.V**

I woke up early the next morning. I felt restless from the thoughts of having to fight the other clan. I just wanted to get away from camp and do something to get my mind off of it. I hurried over to the warrior's den and peered inside. Wolfheart was just awakening. He stood and padded toward the den exit. He paused when he spotted me.

"You're up early. Care to join a border patrol?" He questioned, glancing at me. I nodded quickly. "Alright. We're supposed to meet up with Bramblethorn, Eagletalon and Amberheart," He yawned and shook out his fluffy gray pelt.

When we left camp, I noticed we were heading toward ShadowClan territory. I shot Wolfheart a questioning look. "Willowstar wants us to patrol the ShadowClan area frequently," My mentor explained. I nodded in understanding, holding back a sigh.

"ShadowClan, fox-dung! They set new markers up already!" Eagletalon growled loudly. I looked around noticing we had arrived at the stream. I felt anger boil up inside me. So that was how they were going to take our land. They were setting new markers to warn us.

We all leapt across the small stream and headed to the official border. I froze when I smelt the fresh scent of ShadowClan. My sleek black fur bristled. I turned my muzzle to Wolfheart, but before I could say anything, battle screeches chimed through the air. My eyes widened as shapes of cats shot through the darkness of the trees.

A dark gray tabby tom slammed into my side, making me stagger. He leapt at me with claws outstretched. I jumped forward, slamming into his chest and bowling him over. He hit the ground with a thump. I heard him yelp in pain before standing and charging at me again. I braced myself to fight back when another shape hit me from behind.

I yelped loudly, tumbling to the ground painfully. A silver tabby stood by the dark gray one. _They're teaming up! StarClan help me! _I thought desperately as I scrambled to my paws. The silver she-cat lunged at me. I sprang forward and sank my teeth into her neck sharply. I pinned the she-cat to the ground where she thrashed around.

I went to claw her shoulder when I felt teeth fasten around my scruff. I was dragged off the she-cat by the darker tom. He flung me to the ground and launched himself at me. I felt his claws pierce into my shoulders, and I yowled. I kicked my hind legs desperately at his exposed stomach.

The tom lunged his teeth forward for my throat. Suddenly, A flash of gray and white tumbled into the tom. _Leopardpaw!_ My friend fell to the ground with the other cat. He bore a few wounds from the fight.

"Stupid furball! Why are you attacking me!" The gray tom spat and struggled free from under Leopardpaw. Leopardpaw blinked his eyes. His hazel pools shone with confusion, but it didn't seem genuine to me.

"Sorry, Duskpaw! I tripped and didn't see you there!" Leopardpaw apologized quickly before springing away. Using the distraction to my advantage, I launched myself at Duskpaw and sank my teeth into his shoulders. My claws dug into his sides, causing him to screech. I let go of my grip, watching as he made a dash for the bushes.

My pale, icy blue eyes scanned the area. Only two ShadowClan warrior remained. One was Jaggedrock. He was struggling with his fight against Wolfheart and Bramblethorn. The other ShadowClan warrior was locked in a battle with Eagletalon. It wasn't long before our deputy released him, and he ran off.

Jaggedrock pulled himself free of Wolfheart and sneered, "Don't think you won this, ThunderClan mouse-heart!" Wolfheart let out a low growl, and Jaggedrock finally made a run for it. Relief pulsed through me. No cat seemed to be badly injured.

We soon returned to camp, and Wolfheart left with Eagletalon to speak with Willowstar. I headed to the Medicine cat den. My mentor had told me to get my wounds checked, so I obeyed without question. I sat down in the den as Hazelpool inspected my wounds.

I watched in silence as Hazelpool began to rub herbs on my wounds. Larkpaw helped with making the mixture. My mind trailed off to the battle._ Did Leopardpaw really just stumble into his clan-mate on accident? or was he trying to help me? I guess I'll just have to ask him myself sometime._

"There. All done. Make sure you take it easy for a bit," Hazelpool's purr snapped me out of my thoughts. I nodded my thanks and headed out of the den. Feeling my paws heavy with exhaustion, I padded to the apprentice den. A yawn escaped my mouth. I soon drifted to sleep.

**ShadowClan camp**

The patrol of ShadowClan cats, that had battled the ThunderClan ones, returned to camp. Everyone of them bore a few wounds from the fight. The patrol had been sent to mark the new border line under Darkstar's order. Before the border patrol had been able to leave the official ThunderClan territory, they spotted cats from their rival clan. Deciding that they would warn the cats off, they attacked. Unfortunately, they were overpowered.

When they slipped through the entrance to camp, they noticed cats were gathering in the clearing. Darkstar stood on the lowered hazel branch that hung above his den. His eyes blazed in fury as his gaze swept around the cats below. It was obvious the ShadowClan leader had heard what happened.

"Cats of ShadowClan!" The dark pelted leader yowled loudly. "We will not be beaten so easily. ThunderClan think they have won. They are probably basking in the sun like lazy Kittypets, believing they are so great, but they are not! We will attempt a surprise attack tonight! I wish to bring all my warriors except Rabbitdash, who is too injured to fight again. Ivypaw and Duskpaw will stay and guard camp as well. Leopardpaw as well as Softpaw will join us."

Murmurs of agreement swept through the clearing. Leopardpaw, however, felt worry stab inside him. He would have to fight Nightpaw's clan once again, but this time was a surprise attack. It wasn't unlikely that he would end up in a battle with his good friend.

Oakleaf, the ShadowClan medicine cat checked on all the wounded cats injuries. Only one of the cats had a more serious wound. It was Rabbitdash. The small black and brown tom had many tufts of fur missing where he was clawed. His back leg bore a deep bite mark. It was clear that he had been locked in a fierce brawl.

It was late at night when Darkstar reappeared from his den. His brown eyes were lit with anticipation at taking the strip of land. The ShadowClan leader gathered the cats he had chosen to leave with him. He then turned his muzzle to the exit of camp. His tail waved in a signal for his warriors to follow.

"We will give them a good warning to stay away from our new territory. ShadowClan, we leave at once!" The ShadowClan leader shouted as he glared around at the other cats. His dark eyes gleaming, Darkstar stalked off with the others trailing after him. His dark colored fur seemed to vanish in the darkness. The real battle was just about to start.

**Leopardstorm is still in the lead, so that will probably end up being Leopardpaw's warrior name. I'm working on naming all the chapters since just saying chapter and then the number looks boring. If you have any good titles to suggest for any of the chapters, i'll be glad to hear them. I've figured out a few titles, but I don't want to start naming them until I have ones for them all. **


	13. Attack!

**jadewing- **Thanks for the review! I decided to use 'Attack' as the name for this chapter! :)

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. Reviews are appreciated!**

All was silent except the gentle noise of branches swaying and the crickets chirping. Nightpaw sat up, opening her jaws in a wide yawn. The slight movement of the moss bed beside her, notified her that Sagepaw was still asleep. His flanks rose and fell steadily, and muffled snores left his mouth.

The young black furred apprentice turned her blue gaze to outside the apprentice den. She could see no cats in the clearing. Not being able to sleep any longer, she headed out of the spacious den. The apprentice glanced toward the gorge's exit in search of who was on guard. A fluffy gray cat sat stiffly, watching outside the camp intently. Nightpaw quietly ambled over to where he was seated.

"You should be resting, " Nightpaw froze to the sound of the cat's voice. The gray warrior's broad head turned to reveal his yellow eyes. They seemed to gleam in the darkness ass he gazed at her. The apprentice dipped her head in acknowledgement and went to sit beside him.

She sighed and tapped her one white paw absentmindedly at a leaf that had blown to the ground, "I can't. I guess I just have a lot on my mind." Wolfheart, her mentor, gave her a sympathetic look. Nightpaw kept her blue gaze on the ground. "I thought I might just relax out here and get a bit of fresh air."

The gray warrior purred and gave her a nudge, "You know what, Lionstep should be taking over watch any time now. When he does, how about we do a bit of hunting?" His apprentice nodded her head eagerly.

It was long after that Lionstep came walking over. His bright, golden fur was clearly visible in the darkness. Wolfheart greeted him with a purr. Lionstep had been Wolfheart's mentor when he was an apprentice. Nightpaw knew that the two of them shared a close bond. _Well, Wolfheart and I are good friends too._ The young she-cat thought.

"I'll take it from here," Lionstep mewed with a dip of his head. With that, Nightpaw and her mentor took off. The two cats padded in the direction of the ShadowClan border. Wolfheart had insisted they check for any of their rival clan's scents while they were hunting. He had explained that ShadowClan would probably still go after the large strip of land they had demanded from Willowstar.

The snapping of twigs and leaves made the two ThunderClan cats freeze. They sounded as if they couldn't have been too far away. Wolfheart immediately leapt at a tree, sinking his sharp claws into the bark. He pulled himself up to a higher branch and peered down. The fur on his neck rose.

"We have to get back to camp! Now!" The gray warrior hissed to his apprentice, who has just made it up beside him. She was panting softly with effort. Wolfheart remembered that he had yet to teach her about tree climbing. It was something that was of good use to ThunderClan cats in battle.

Nightpaw's pelt bristled as she followed Wolfheart's yellow gaze. Below, not far from the tree they rested in, was a huge patrol of ShadowClan cats. It looked like every warrior in their rival clan was in it. Darkstar was in the front of the cats, leading them straight toward ThunderClan camp.

They jumped down from branch to branch until they were close enough to take a leap to the ground. Wolfheart landed neatly on his paws with Nightpaw following after him. The black apprentice stumbled a bit when she touched the ground, but she quickly composed herself. The two ThunderClan cats raced to camp.

The gray warrior yowled loudly when they rushed into camp, "ShadowClan is invading!" HIs voice seemed to ring through the gorge that was home to ThunderClan. Instantly cats shot out of their dens. All of their eyes were clouded in surprise. Wolfheart saw his own sister's eyes widen in fear. The gray warrior guessed she was afraid for her unborn kits.

Willowstar emerged from her den and dashed to the clearing. The ThunderClan leader addressed her clan, "Elders move to the nursery immediately. I want every warrior and apprentice ready to fight. Hazelpool, make sure you and Larkpaw gather up the supplies you need. From what I hear, there won't be any time to meet outside camp."

It seemed like only a few heartbeats before a battle yowl chimed in the air, "ShadowClan attack!" Many cats poured into the gorge and instantly began to fight. Willowstar locked into a fierce leader with ShadowClan's own leader, Darkstar. Wolfheart was tussling with a gray and white she-cat. He seemed to be winning.

Nightpaw spotted a pure white she-cat charging toward her. She was bigger than Nightpaw, but she didn't seem to be as big as a full grown warrior. The black she-cat braced herself to fight with the other apprentice. The white she-cat hissed and crouched down in front of her. Her blue eyes glowed brightly.

Nightpaw dashed forward and landed a blow with her paws to the snowy white cat's head. The white she-cat staggered and lunged forward. Nightpaw managed to scramble out of the way and sank her teeth in the other cat's tail. The she-cat let out a screech of pain and turned, raking her claws across Nightpaw's ear. The black apprentice flinched, and she let go of the grip on the other cat's tail.

The ShadowClan cat slammed into Nightpaw's side, knocking her over. She then pinned her down, sinking her claws into Nightpaw's fur. The black she-cat struggled under the grip of the bigger cat, thinking desperately for the right move.

The white apprentice sneered when she felt the other one go limp under her. She lessened her weight on the other cat, ready to go off and fight another. Before she could leave, Nightpaw shot her legs up strongly at the ShadowClan apprentice's belly, throwing her off. Nightpaw scurried to her paws and lunged at the dazed ShadowClan apprentice, sinking her teeth into her shoulder. She yowled in pain and pulled away. Nightpaw watched as the other she-cat made a run for it.

A flash of gray and white slammed into her, sending her to the ground once more. Before she could stand to her paws, the shape pinned her to the ground. Nightpaw instantaneously recognized Leopardpaw. His paw was brought up, ready to rake his claws down her chest. When he seemed to notice her, he paused. He gaped down at the other apprentice. His hazel eyes widened.

"Nightpaw!" Leopardpaw hissed. Her muzzle only a kitstep away from the other apprentice's ear. Nightpaw unsheathed her claws. With his distraction, she could have the perfect chance to sink her claws into his belly. She froze. Her sharp claws grazed his belly fur, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything else.

She ears flattened against her skull. She whispered quietly, "I can't... I can't fight you." Her voice was barely audible, but Leopardpaw seemed to hear her. His eyes flickered with understanding for a moment, but he quickly covered it up.

"Then you're just being a soft kittypet," He sneered and lunged for her shoulder. Nightpaw shut her eyes ready for the impact. Her limps seemed to be frozen in place. _Why can't I just fight back!_ She yelled desperately in her head.

When the bite never came, her two blue eyes fluttered open. Leopardpaw's mouth was almost pressing against her shoulder. His warm breath ticked her ear. "I can't either," He murmured faintly.

With that, He leapt away from her and charged back into battle. Nightpaw stood on trembling paws. She had been moments away from being wounded by her good friend. She gazed over seeing him fighting with Tigerstripe now. Although he attacked her clan mate, he seemed more reluctant than the other ShadowClan cats.

Nightpaw felt her fur prickle with unease. As a kit, she had always boasted that when she was older, she would take on the strongest ShadowClan cat there was. Now, it seemed like she couldn't even bring herself to fighting any more of them. _Is it because of my friendship with Leopardpaw?_ She questioned in her mind. Although she knew the answer, she couldn't help but feel confused.

Nightpaw shook her head clear and looked around. Cinderstreak was clawing a dark brown tom from the nursery. It was obvious that she was struggling to fight with her swollen belly. The brown warrior easily overpowered her, and she was pinned to the ground. Without thinking, Nightpaw dashed over to the battle and leapt at the ShadowClan warrior.

When she was about to make contact with him, a yowl broke through the air. She stumbled to the ground, sending dirt flying up. Every cat had stopped their clashes and were staring at the middle of the clearing. Nightpaw turned her head, following their gazes. In the middle of camp laid a motionless body. It's calico fur glowed dimly in the moonlight. A fiery red ShadowClan warrior stood gaping down at her.

"I-I didn't mean to!" The tom screeched, stumbling back when another cat pushed passed him. It was Tigerstripe. He buried his fur into the she-cats fur.

Tigerstripe lifted his head and let out a mournful wail. Mosseyes was dead. His mother had been murdered by the ShadowClan warrior. Bluefrost and a few other ThunderClan cats joined him. The battle seemed to be forgotten.

"This battle is over! You will return to your home _now_!" Willowstar growled lowly. She glared at Darkstar who stood in front of her. Her gray fur was matted with blood, but her eyes flared strongly. Nightpaw knew Darkstar would leave. It was against the warrior code and greatly dishonorable to kill a cat from another clan. Especially when it was over a new border.

With a snarl, Darkstar turned, leading his warriors out of ThunderClan's camp. Leopardpaw was the last in the group. He casted a quick glance to her. His hazel eyes shining sympathetically over the death of her clan mate. Nightpaw lowered her gaze to her paws.

Mosseyes had been in the nursery when she and her siblings were. Even when Tigerstripe was made an apprentice, Mosseyes had chosen to rest in the nursery for a while longer. The calico she-cat would watch over them whenever their mother left, and she was always happy to tell the kits new stories.

Sagepaw and Larkpaw were already lying down beside her. Nightpaw rushed over and buried her nose into the calico fur. Mosseyes no longer felt warm. Her fur was as cold as leafbare, and her eyes were dim. Blood was smeared around her throat were the warrior had bit her.

"Isn't it strange how tragedies keep striking our clan?" Nightpaw could hear Pinepelt growl to Stoneshade. He then added with a quick glance to the black apprentice, "I've always told everyone what _she_ was. A curse."

Nightpaw felt anger surge through her. _It isn't my fault she died! It's that ShadowClan cat!_ She hissed inwardly. Nightpaw dug her claws into the ground. _He always blames me! One day... _Her thoughts trailed off as she gave her head a small shake.

They sat vigil for the fallen warrior until the elders and a few senior warriors took her body for burial. The cats split up and went to their dens. It had been a long night, and they were all tired. Nightpaw settled down in her moss lined nest with a yawn. She closed her icy blue eyes, digging her claws into her bed when remembering Pinepelt's words.

Nightpaw blinked an eye open to see a grassy plain. She stood to her paws and quickly glanced around. The sun was just rising, giving the sky a mixture of various colors. It was the sight that always mesmerized her. It was beautiful and calming. She stared at the sky for what seemed like many heartbeats before realizing there was something strange.

_ Where am I? _She mused. _This isn't anywhere I know. _The black she-cat padded away in a random direction. The only sounds she could hear was the stir of the wind and birds chirping a song. Movement our of the corner of her eye made her pause. _What was that?_

Suddenly, a russet colored she-cat appeared in front of her. Nightpaw felt her fur bristled as she glared into the cat's pale, green eyes. The cat was gazing back calmly. Nightpaw examined the cat. Her auburn pelt was sleek and well-groomed. There was a missing patch of fur on her haunch.

"Where am I?" The black furred apprentice questioned. The russet she-cat purred. She gently brushed her tail across the smaller cat's shoulder and smiled. Her pale green eyes seemed friendly, and her voice was soft.

The she-cat murmured delicately, "You are wherever you want to be." Nightpaw frowned at this. That was no answer. What did it mean anyway? Before the apprentice could ask another question, the russet colored she-cat spoke again, "Just think of a place you like."

Nightpaw gave her a quizzical look before closing her eyes. She thought of her journey to the mountains. They had climbed a hill when they left the clans. As she looked back she could see the whole lake. It seemed small, but it shined prettily under the sun. The apprentice opened her eyes.

Nightpaw gasped and stumbled back in surprise. She was standing in the familiar spot. The sun was high and bright in the sky. She glanced over seeing the russet she-cat by her side. She was humming softly.

"Is this StarClan?" Nightpaw asked suddenly. When the other she-cat shook her head, Nightpaw blinked in confusion. _Surely, only a great place like this could be StarClan? _The russet colored cat, seeming to sense her confusion, explained.

She mewed, "No, this is not StarClan. This is where the ancestors of _other_ cats are. Like me." _Other ancestors? _

"Who's ancestors are you then?" The apprentice inquired. Her head was tilted. Her pale, icy blue eyes shone curiously. The russet cat stayed silent. Unexpectedly the light seemed to shut off. Darkness surrounded Nightpaw. When she glanced around fearfully, she could see faint outlines of trees. The russet she-cat was nowhere in sight.

Started to panic, Nightpaw dashed away. She could smell the faint scent of the other cat, making hope flare inside her. After running for a little bit, She spotted a bright light shimmering down at what seemed like the exit to the woods. She quickened her pace.

Panting, she glanced around. The apprentice had finally made it out of the eerie woods. In front of her, was the moon. It was large and bright, lighting the area. A dark shape of a cat sat in front of her. She scurried over, noticing it was the russet cat. When the she-cat ordered her to sit, she did.

"Who are you? And why am I here with you, anyway?" Nightpaw gazed at the other cat, hoping she wouldn't run off again. Thankfully, the cat seemed happy to answer. She turned her pale green eyes to Nightpaw.

"My name is Brick," She purred gently, " I came because you needed me. It seems something is troubling you." Nightpaw scowled when thoughts of Pinepelt filled her mind. She let out a faint hiss.

"Well, yea. This cat-Pinepelt- always blames me for everything! I don't understand why everyone seems to thing I'm a 'curse'." The apprentice murmured. She decided to not mention the whole thing that happened on their trip to the mountains.

Brick's eyes softened, and she gave Nightpaw a reassuring smile. "He is wrong then. You are a cat destined for greatness. You will see, Nightpaw, one day you will be eminent." The black she-cat felt warmed by the sureness in Brick's voice. "_We_ will always be there to help you."

_We? _Nightpaw pondered in bewilderment. The she-cat opened her mouth to reply, but stopped at the sight of other cats emerging from the darkness. She couldn't make out what they looked like as the padded forward. Their eyes glimmered brightly.

"Nightpaw. Nightpaw. Nightpaw," The many cats seemed to chime. Nightpaw's fur prickled in fear at the sight of so many cats.

"Nightpaw! Will you wake up already?" Nightpaw shot to her paws. Sagepaw was standing near her, his head tilted. He sighed, "You were twisting and turning all over, and it's time to start training!"

The black she-cat smoothed down her fur with a few licks. "Sorry. I was dreaming," She murmured rapidly before exiting the den. She still had so many questions she wanted to ask Brick. She craved to know who those other cats were as well. _I wonder if they were other ancestors?_ _I wish I at least knew whose ancestors they were._

"Ah, You're up finally. We are going hunting with Sagepaw and Petalfrost. It's about time we access your skills," Wolfheart said as he walked over to her. Nightpaw nodded her head.

Soon, the four cats headed out of camp. They didn't walk far before Wolfheart spoke up. His yellow eyes were shining expectedly. He glanced at the two apprentices.

"Alright. You two go off and hunt. We'll be watching you, so do your best," The fluffy gray warrior purred. With that, The two apprenticed shot off in different directions. Nightpaw headed in the route of the abandoned twoleg den. She knew she would be able to catch a few mice there and maybe even a squirrel or bird.

On her way to the den, she spotted a starling. She instantly crouched down and stalked forward. Her hunting skills had increased greatly since she was first apprenticed. Her form wasn't nearly as clumsy anymore. She was able to keep her tail still as well. Her paws seemed to glide over the ground as she approached her prey. She jumped out, claws outstretched. The bird had no time to screech before she sank her teeth in its throat.

The black coated apprentice had a good hunt. She had caught the starling, two mice and even a squirrel. She struggled back to their meeting place with the prey dragging from her jaws. She saw Sagepaw sitting proudly with his prey. He had caught a good amount as well. Two voles, a squirrel, and a plump mouse lied near his paws. It was obvious that the apprentices were improving.

**I won't be updating for about 10 days or so. A friend of mine is coming over, so I probably won't have any time to write. I put up a poll to find out Sagepaw's warrior name. I have no idea what a good name would be. I put whatever names I could think of, but a few of them sound kind of girly. If you have any good names, please tell me!**


	14. Familiar Cat

**Hey, I'm back! *Hides behind random cat to avoid thrown objects* sorry! Yes, I know it's been a while! My buddy ended up staying thirteen days. At first, I was like, 'Yes she is finally leaving! Woohoo!' Yea until she_ actually _left. After that I was like 'Noo why did you leave meh'! Then, I just couldn't bring myself to write anything(Yes that's my excuse!). Apparently, I don't understand my own emotions XD. But again, I'm good now! I'll try to update as soon as possible, but with school starting up again, I don't know. Maybe once a week I'll update. No promises! :p**

** I probably just wasted a whole minute or two of your life. If you got through this little note then, congrats!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Hope you enjoy! Reviews are appreciated. They motivate me to write faster. :3 Soo... please review, and here is finally chapter 13!**

"Cats of ShadowClan, gather below!" The yowl of the ShadowClan leader awoke Leopardpaw. The apprentice stood, arching his back in a stretch before exiting his den. It was barely dawn, and it seemed like most of the cats were just waking.

It had been two days since the battle with ThunderClan. Almost every cat, who had fought, bore an injury. A few of them even had to spend a day in the medicine cat den. Leopardpaw himself had a couple scratches and a bite marks on his shoulder, hind leg and flank. He had fought his hardest, taking on warriors.

"During the battle, I noticed an apprentice who did exceptionally well in his fight. I believe _he_ is ready to become a warrior," Darkstar explained. His brown eyes swept through the clearing. Leopardpaw noticed Duskpaw stiffen beside him. There were only two toms that were apprentices. Him and Duskpaw.

The jet black ShadowClan leader continued, " I believe Leopardpaw is ready to become a warrior. Do you agree, Jaggedrock?" Darkstar turned his gaze on Leopardpaw's mentor.

"No," Jaggedrock's plain mew surprised the whole clan. Gasps erupted from the gathered cats. Darkstar narrowed his brown eyes slightly. Jaggedrock quickly added, "Erm... I mean, Duskpaw and his siblings were all apprenticed before Leopardpaw. I think it's fair that they were made apprentices first."

For once Leopardpaw's mentor seemed nervous. He was shifting his paws occasionally. His muddy brown eyes wouldn't meet his leader's. The white, gray spotted apprentice felt anger rise inside him. _What reason should I not become an apprentice!?_ He shouted in his head. His claws dug deep in the ground beneath him.

The ShadowClan leader gave a tiny nod. "I will think of what you said," He agreed. Darkstar leapt down from the branch that hung above his den. He turned and entered his den. Leopardpaw watched as his Leader's tail disappeared into the darkness. His only hope was that Darkstar would stick with his first choice of him becoming an apprentice.

Leopardpaw spotted his mentor leaving camp. _I'll follow him and be sure to ask him why he did that. _Leopardpaw decided. He silently padded out the exit. After a few minutes of walking, The spotted apprentice saw Jaggedrock stalking a mouse about a fox-length away. He hurried over, not caring if he scared off the prey. The mouse made a dash for it, sending dirt flying into the air.

"You frightened my catch away!" Jaggedrock hissed loudly as he turned to face his apprentice. Leopardpaw stood his ground, staring straight back at the brown tom. Leopardpaw lashed his tail irritably.

The spotted apprentice growled, "Why would you say I wasn't ready!? I've been training hard! I even went on that whole trip to the mountains. At the battle I fought as great as any warrior!" The angry words spilled out of the ShadowClan cat's muzzle rapidly. His white and gray fur was bristling, and his teeth bared slightly.

"I saw you," Jaggedrock's mew was suspicious, "During the battle." Leopardpaw blinked his hazel eyes.

"Saw me?" He echoed. _What does he mean? _ Leopardpaw tilted his head to the side. He kept his eyes locked onto Jaggedrock's muddy brown ones.

The brown, darker flecked tom growled, "You didn't even give that she-cat a nip. You had her where you needed her. You let her go. It's obvious you aren't ready to take on the full duties as a warrior." Leopardpaw opened his mouth to protest but clamped it shut. What was there he could say? He could not think of any excuses for what he had done. He should've been strong enough to bring himself to at least scratch her.

Jaggedrock turned without another word and headed back to camp. Leopardpaw stayed in his place. His expression was blank, and his head was lowered. After a few moments, he followed his mentor back to camp. His tail dragged against the dusty ground, collecting dirt with it.

The moon rose above the ShadowClan camp sending it's dim light on the gathered cats below. Their various colors of eyes shone. They all sat around the low branch as they waited for their leader's answer. Never before, in ShadowClan at least, had a mentor just declined his apprentice becoming a warrior. Especially not during the official ceremony.

"Cats of ShadowClan! I have pondered about what Jaggedrock has said. If he doesn't believe Leopardpaw is ready, then he will not have his warrior ceremony yet. I will let Jaggedrock decide when he thinks his own apprentice's time has come. As for the older apprentices, I trust they could use some improving as well. You are dismissed." With that, Darkstar left for his den.

The cats dispersed and headed for their dens for a good sleep. Leopardpaw was the only one who sat motionless in the center of the clearing. _Maybe it's best I don't talk to her anymore. She shouldn't feel anymore to me than another ThunderClan cat. I'll show Jaggedrock. _ Making up his mind, he turned and padded to the apprentice den.

Time skip(About one moon)

Nightpaw frowned as she padded away. The gathering had just ended, and she felt both upset and confused. No, it didn't have anything to do with problems with the other clans. ShadowClan hadn't even mentioned the battle that took place ago. This was about a cat. This was about Leopardpaw.

Her friend seemed awfully distant this gathering. She had expected a friendly greeting, but he had barely acknowledged her at first. It was as if she hadn't even known him. Instead of looking for her, he had just kept closer to his own clan. She didn't even see him cast her a glance when they arrived.

_ The small black she-cat weaved her way among the gathered cats. ThunderClan was the last clan to reach the gathering this time. Her icy blue eyes scanned the area in sight of the familiar gray and white fur of her friend, Leopardpaw. She couldn't see him anywhere. Maybe he didn't go to the gathering._

_ "Leopardpaw! Hi!" She exclaimed as she finally caught a glimpse of his shape. The white, gray spotted apprentice just flicked an ear idly. After a few heartbeats he finally answered._

_ He glanced over without a blink of his hazel eyes. He greeted simply, "Hi." An uncomfortable silence hung around the two apprentices. Nightpaw shifted her white paw awkwardly against the ground. Leopardpaw wasn't saying anything else. He didn't even look at her again._

_ Nightpaw hissed quietly, "Hey? What's wrong with you?" His reaction frightened the young she-cat. He jumped to his paws and rounded up on her. His fur was bristling, and his two hazel pools flared. The black she-cat sank back slightly._

_ "What's wrong with me? Why don't you just go talk to one of your clan-mates and leave me alone," He growled back in a low tone. Nightpaw flattened her ears back and against her skull._

_ "Why can't we talk? We're friends aren't we?" She blinked her pale, icy blue eyes at him. Her claws dug into the ground as she tried to restrain her anger. What was his problem? Had she done something wrong?_

_ The ShadowClan apprentice turned his back to her. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of sorrow in Leopardpaw's eyes. He answered almost silently, "No." Nightpaw's eyes widened. Leopardpaw had been her best friend, and she didn't even know why they couldn't be anymore._

The young she-cat sighed as she looked around. They would be arriving at camp in only a few minutes, but she didn't feel like going yet. She soundlessly steered away from her clan-mates and bounded away. She needed some fresh air and space. All she wanted to do was relax and think about what had just happened.

The sound of crickets chirped loudly in her ear. She could barely hear the stirring of the leaves. A gentle breeze ruffled her sleek fur as she continued to pad on. The area was mostly dark. Only few of the lights from the stars and part of the moon was visible. The trees were covering most of the midnight blue sky.

"_Mrrow_!" A shape dropped down, landing right in front of her. Nightpaw let out a startled yelp and stumbled back. Her black fur stood on end as she looked at the figure. It was sprawled out on the ground. With a small grunt, the creature pulled itself to a sitting position and looked at her. It was another cat.

The cat's emerald green eyes were bright, contrasting with the darkness. It was a tom by its scent. He had short ginger fur like Sagepaw. The only real difference was that this tom had white paws and a white splash on its chest. The tom seemed to be about her age.

"Sorry if I scared you," the young tom apologized, "I was sitting on a tree branch when these _huge _and _ferocious_ birds attacked me!" The ginger cat stood up tall for emphasis. Nightpaw glanced around warily. _Huge birds?_ She mused. _What if it was an Eagle that came from the mountains!_

Suddenly two sparrows swooped down. Each of the brown birds gave the tom a peck. "Hey , stop that! I didn't know those were your chicks! Maybe you shouldn't leave them unattended!" The ginger and white cat protested. He swiped both his paws at the birds unsuccessfully. They continued their attack.

Nightpaw crouched down, keeping her ice blue eyes on the prey. It was harder to concentrate with the birds flying around the tom, and his own paws flailing through the air. Despite that, The she-cat was determined. She had been an apprentice for enough time to have practiced all the hunting techniques.

The young she-cat wiggled her haunches. Her tongue slid over her lips as she waited for the right moment. The birds seemed to be tiring. Bunching up her muscles, she took a strong leap. Nightpaw launched herself a high distance up. Her claws grazed feathers, and she managed to lock her teeth around one of them. The she-cat landed easily on her feet, dropping the limp sparrow to the ground. The other let out a squawk of terror and flew away.

Nightpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement at the gingers tom reaction. His jaws gaped open, and he gazed at her. "Definitely was huge and ferocious!" She purred sarcastically. The young tom gave his ruffled fur, from his scuffle, a few licks.

He gave her a sheepish grin, "They caught me by surprise!" He fluffed out his ginger fur defensively. His green eyes glanced to the side, and he added, "By the way, I'm Sinnoh!"

"I'm Nightpaw. I'm-" She started but was interrupted by Sinnoh. He broke out into laugher.

"Nightpaw? What kind of name is that!? Whoever named you must have eaten too much Catmint! I should know. I had some of that stuff. Well, maybe too much, and I was running all over the place! I was hitting into everything! My mind's still fuzzy on what happened that day!" The ginger tom laughed. He started to run in circles for accent.

The black she-cat shook her head. She could barely make out what this hyper tom was chattering about. "Hey, It's an apprentice name! I'm training to be a warrior! What are you, a kittypet?"

"Kittypet?" The ginger and white tom blinked. He then put in, "I live by myself. Well, I use to live with house folk before I left them."

_So he's a former kittypet_. Nightpaw concluded as she observed the tom. "Why did you leave your two- I mean house folk?" She asked. She was now curious about this cat's intentions. She didn't hear many stories about kittypets ever straying this far out. She especially didn't hear about them leaving permanently.

"Well, you see, I'm actually on a mission! A mission to find my father. I heard from another cat about which way he might be. I was just hungry so I took a small break," Sinnoh replied enthusiastically. His emerald green eyes were bright.

Nightpaw gave a small smile, "Good luck! Here, take the sparrow." The ginger tom murmured his thanks before gulping down his prey. With that, The black apprentice turned and left. The sun was going to start rising soon, so if she wanted some sleep, she had to get back.

"Bye, Lightpaw!" She heard Sinnoh call after her. Her tail flicked in annoyance. She turned her head back.

"It's Nightpaw!" She corrected loudly. Then, she raced back to camp.

She sighed contently and settled down in her warm nest. Sagepaw, the only other apprentice training to be a warrior, was laying close to her. He was asleep, and he didn't even stir as she sank down beside him. The black she-cat closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep.

This night she didn't dream of the familiar place she saw Brick in. Every other night she entered the same place. She would tell Brick about her day. The russet colored she-cat had even taken time to show Nightpaw a few techniques. She learned both in hunting and fighting.

The black she-cat glanced around. She was standing in the same place she had met Sinnoh except it was light out. Dappled shade and sunlight shone on her black fur. Abruptly, Sinnoh appeared in front of her. His scent drifted toward her, causing her eyes to widen slightly. He seemed so unfamiliar yet known at the same time. Her eyes examined the ginger tom.

"Wake up, Nightpaw! Battle training," Nightpaw awoke to see Sagepaw standing in front of her. He had one paw lifted as if to prod her on the side again. The black cat quickly scrambled to her paws and gave her brother a nod.

_Mousedung_. She thought. There was something strangely familiar about the ginger tom she had met in the forest. Maybe she had seen him on her trip to the mountains. She had spotted a bunch of kittypets hanging around in different places. Sighing, she padded out of the den and toward the training hollow.

When she arrived, she noticed Sagepaw, Wolfheart and Petalfrost. Her brother was already positioned at the same place he was when they battle trained. The black she-cat speedily posed herself and glared forward at Sagepaw. She was determined to win this fight.

As she waited for the signal to begin, Nightpaw couldn't help but recall her dream. It was strange, but she just couldn't figure it out. _I'll keep trying to find out. Maybe Brick might be able to tell me. Or I-_

An impact to her flank brought her out of her thoughts. She gasped as she tumbled to the ground. Paws batted at her head and face. Surprised by the sudden attack, Nightpaw had no time to plan her move. She kicked her hind legs wildly at her aggressor, missing the majority of the blows. The other cat successfully pinned her to the ground. His weight kept her still.

"Hah, I won!" Sagepaw yowled with triumph clear in his voice. His fur was barely harmed by her. Nightpaw stood, shaking the dirt from her own pelt.

"What was that about? Were you even paying attention?" Wolfheart hissed as he walked over to her. Nightpaw lashed her tail. Her gray mentor then added more softly, "Is everything alright, Nightpaw?"

Her loss and confusion making her irritable, the black she-cat growled, "Everything is fine!" She turned and stomped out of the hollow. Her tail swishing back and forth behind her. Nightpaw had become a good fighter ever since her training with Brick. It was rare for her to lose a fight with her brother.

Nightpaw could hear the paw steps of the others following after her. She couldn't bring herself to glance back at them. Not only was she embarrassed at herself for being distracted, but now, she felt guilty for snapping at her mentor. With a huff, she ambled over to the fresh-kill pile and pulled out two voles. Maybe helping out another cat would make her feel a bit better.

The black she-cat entered the nursery. Cinderstreak, Wolfheart's sister, lied on her side. Her belly was heavily swollen with kits. Nightpaw knew it wouldn't be much longer now that the kits would be born. The dark gray she-cat looked up, noticing Nightpaw's arrival. She heaved herself into a sitting position.

"Hello, Nightpaw," Cinderstreak greeted with a friendly purr, "Did you bring those for me?" The apprentice nodded and set down the two voles in front of the queen. She watched as Cinderstreak bent forward and began to eat her fresh-kill. Nightpaw noticed the gray queen grimace slightly in pain as she settled back down. _It must be painful. I mean her belly is huge! I know I'm not going to have kits!_

Nightpaw left the nursery and headed to the fresh kill pile. She picked out a mouse for herself and a squirrel for Larkpaw. She ate with the medicine cat apprentice. The rest of the day, Wolfheart had assigned her to gather moss. By the time her job was done, it was dark out. She realized that many of the cats were already settling in their nests.

The young cat sat down in the middle of the clearing thinking. The whole day, she wasn't able to get her mind off of Sinnoh. There was something weird about that cat. She heaved a sigh. He would probably already be leaving by now. It wasn't likely she would ever see him again. _Unless..._

Nightpaw stood to her paws and scanned the clearing. No cats were in sight. Her icy blue pools paused on the tabby fur of Tigerstripe. She quietly stalked over to him. His flanks were rising and falling steadily. The new warrior had fallen asleep! It wasn't unlike Tigerstripe to do that. Knowing she might not have much time, the black she-cat snuck passed him. She was particularly careful not to make much noise. She didn't want to awake the guard.

Her paws tingled with mixed fear and excitement. She was worried about what the clan would think, but the young she-cat had already made up her mind. It was something she had contemplated about for many heartbeats. _Yes, I'll go with Sinnoh. _

**The poll to find out Sagepaw's warrior name is still up! Sagebreeze and Sagethorn are tied, so go and vote for your favorite, if you don't like those ones! I'm changing my profile picture to one of Nightpaw and Wolfheart as... Pirates! It was my brother's idea. Leopardpaw, sadly, didn't fit well, and I prefer Wolfheart over him. Tell me what you think of this chapter!** :)


	15. Missing

**Here's chapter 14! Didn't take too long to come, right?**

**Please read and review! It takes me **_**three**_** hours(That's not counting going over it again) to write each chapter and only **_**three**_** seconds to just say 'good job'. The whole reason I decided to write was to see if people like my style of writing and ideas(I'm writing my own story the isn't based off a book). I'm not one of those people who will say something like, "I won't update unless I get(Insert number) reviews!" But I do appreciate them! :) Well, tell me what you think! Was there something you liked? Something you didn't like? Any advice?**

**Thanks to those who reviewed on the last chapter! You guys are awesome!**

The leaves, that were scattered among the forest floor, crunched as a black she-cat's paws landed on them. She was traveling quickly now in hope to catch up with the tom she had met earlier. Her usually sleek black fur was bristling in anticipation. Only a day had passed since she had first seen Sinnoh, the ginger and white tom. His scent would still be fresh, and she knew there was a good chance she would be able to follow it.

Nightpaw paused when she reached the area. The tree that held the sparrow's nest hung above her head in a branch. She could see the brown feathers of the one bird, covering up her chicks to keep them warm. A gentle breeze stirred the black she-cat's messy fur. She lifted her head. The scent of Sinnoh was still strong.

She was able to spot which way he had come. Glancing around, she looked for something that would cover her scent. She didn't want her Clan-mates to follow after her. She didn't want them to even know where she was going. She would just deal with everything else when she returned home. Nightpaw caught a glimpse of a pile of Fox dung. It smelt like it was a few sunrises old.

_Here I go._ Sucking in a deep breath, Nightpaw padded over to it. With a disdainful sniff, she crouched down and rolled in the smelly pile. Bits stuck to her fur, causing the black she-cat to shudder. She didn't like foxes. She especially didn't like rolling in their droppings. Shaking out her jet black fur, the she-cat was ready to set off.

The ThunderClan apprentice turned in the direction of the scent trail and ambled away. Her paws worked quickly in attempt to catch up. She paid little attention to the noise that her paws were creating. It was unlikely that any other cat would be able to hear her, and she wasn't worrying about scaring off prey at the time. Her mind was solely set on finding the talkative tom.

The black she-cat continued after the scent. It lead into WindClan territory, causing Nightpaw's paw pads to prick with fear. _What if they caught him and took him to their camp? _The apprentice worried in her mind. There was only one way to find out. She headed off again. His scent was harder to track around the more unfamiliar scents. She had been in WindClan territory a few times, but when she did, she had to keep close to the lake, which carried a more salty smell.

"Hey! I think I hear something!" A voice exclaimed. Nightpaw's blue eyes widened. She scanned around the area rapidly. There were few bushes, and she couldn't see any trees. Not having any time to think, the young cat made a dash for a bush.

The branches scraped against her frame, causing her to flinch. She could feel a few sharp pinches on her side. Nightpaw crouched down, flattening herself down. The she-cat stayed still, hoping the cats would leave.

Noticing a small opening in the bush, Nightpaw crawled over. Her icy blue pools peered out. She could see two cats. There was a tom and she-cat, and Nightpaw guessed they were mentor and apprentice. The smaller she-cat was blue-gray. The tom, a much bigger cat, was dusty gray. They were padding around the area, scenting the air.

Nightpaw could see the she-cats eyes widen. The blue-gray cat gasped, "Ashpelt, I smell fox!" The gray tom nodded his head slightly. He placed his tail reassuringly on the younger cat's shoulder.

"There's no need to worry, Icepaw. It smells stale. As for whatever you thought you saw, it was probably nothing to fret over. Probably just a rabbit," Ashpelt purred to his apprentice.

Nightpaw felt her heart sink. Would her own mentor be worrying about her when he noticed she had gone? The black she-cat already knew the answer. Wolfheart was always fussing over her, so she was sure he would be out looking.

Wanting to get out of this territory as soon as possible, Nightpaw backed away from the cats. The branches that stuck to her fur, pulled at her as she tried to get free. The young cat managed to escape. Leaves from the branches stuck out of her black fur, but they quickly drifted to the ground when she dashed off.

It didn't take much longer to leave WindClan. Sinnoh's trail was still in the air. The black she-cat had reached the area where she had begun her first journey. It was the journey to the mountains. She could remember clearly. Only a little more than two moons had passed since then.

Nightpaw pictured the seven cats sitting near each other. There were two cats from each clan. Flight, the cat who had led the way to the tribe, was there as well. The black she-cat remembered rushing over to them without waiting for the word of her mentor. She had been so excited then. Now, she wished she had never gone. So much had happened there, that she wished hadn't.

So caught up in her thoughts, Nightpaw hadn't noticed how fresh the scent of the ginger cat was. She waited, shaking her head clear. Her pale, icy blue eyes traveled around the good sized area. A few fox-lengths ahead, the shape of a cat sat._ Sinnoh!_ Nightpaw thought, hope flaring inside her.

She rushed over to the cat swiftly. The ginger and white fur confirmed that it was the young tom. He looked deep in consideration as his green eyes looked around. The black she-cat slid in front of him. Sinnoh appeared startled for a moment before recognizing her.

"Brightpaw!" He greeted happily. His eyes were wide and shining under the moon. Nightpaw felt annoyance make her fur bristle slightly. He had gotten her name wrong _again_.

The black she-cat flicked her tail, directing it on her dark colored pelt. She sighed, "Do I look bright to you?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself!" Sinnoh purred brightly. He then added, "I think you are pretty smart!" Nightpaw's eye twitched irritably. She heaved a loud sigh.

"I didn't mean- never mind. I want to come with you," Nightpaw lifted her head up high. A determined look crossed her eyes as she gazed at the ginger tom. She watched as he tilted his head to the side.

The ginger and white tom answered, "Sure, okay! With your skills and my brains, we will make the perfect team!" Nightpaw opened her mouth to object but abruptly clamped it shut. She didn't consider the tom to be the smartest cat. However, She didn't want him to change his mind about her coming, so she stayed silent. With a nod of her black furred head, the two young cats set off.

**Back in ThunderClan...**

Wolfheart rose to his paws, shaking off his fluffy gray pelt. The pale dawn light shone down on his face. He blinked his bright yellow eyes and exited the den. It looked like the dawn patrol had just left. A hunting patrol was on its way out already.

"Ah, Wolfheart. Would you like to join in the hunt?" A large brown tom questioned. It was Eagletalon, the ThunderClan deputy. He wasn't only a well respected cat in the clan, he was Wolfheart's own father. White flecks scattered around the brown tom's muzzle. Wolfheart knew it wouldn't be long before he joined the elders.

The gray warrior had always wanted to be like his father. He was brave and powerful, but he would always use words before claws. He was wise, and he was always checking up on all his clan-mates. This deputy, was the cat Wolfheart strived to be like. The young warrior dreamed of being a well respected deputy as well.

Wolfheart shook his head, "Sorry, I told the apprentices that I would teach them a new move." Eagletalon nodded his head in understanding before padding off with the hunting patrol.

The young tom turned and strolled over toward Sagepaw and Petalfrost. They were seated by the entrance to camp. The cream colored she-cat was looking irritated at being kept waiting, while Sagepaw was as excited as ever. He couldn't see Nightpaw around.

"Sagepaw, have you seen Nightpaw anywhere?" He asked. When Sagepaw shook his head, Wolfheart sighed. His apprentice must have slept in again. Recently, she has been doing this a lot. She was also really distracted, and she seemed to be exhausted most of the time.

The gray tom headed to the apprentice den to wake up the black she-cat. He glanced inside. Immediately, his eyes widened in surprise. The black she-cat wasn't in the den. No cat was. Wolfheart looked around the whole camp in search for her, with no luck. His apprentice was nowhere to be seen. He hurried over to Petalfrost and Sagepaw. They were both looking annoyed now.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to go out and look for Nightpaw. I can't find her. You two can go hunt today, or do some battle training yourselves," Wolfheart explained quickly. He flicked his thick furred tail and twisted around to face the exit.

A hiss made him pause, "Wait! You promised to teach Sagepaw a new fighting technique _today_. I'm sure that disrespectful she-cat has just decided to go out for a hunt. I mean, it's not like she has been listening to you or even paying any attentions to _your_ lessons."

Wolfheart's paws felt heavy. _And I made a promise to watch over that disrespectful she-cat as well._ He mused bitterly. Heaving a sigh, he nodded to Petalfrost. He had a duty in his clan, and Petalfrost wouldn't hesitate to tell Willowstar on him. He followed after the she-cat and her apprentice as they headed to the training area.

"Okay, Sagepaw, pretend I'm a ShadowClan cat. I'm invading ThunderClan, so come and attack me," The gray tom instructed the apprentice. The ginger cat was looking determined. On Petalfrost's cue, the apprentice darted forward.

Wolfheart stared at the ginger cat for a heartbeat before rotating around. He lifted his back paws off the ground, putting his weight on his front legs. With a powerful kick, he sent his attacker flying back. The warrior quickly turned around, seeing Sagepaw sprawled out against the ground. The young apprentice speedily got to his paws and shook his pelt clean.

"That was amazing!" Sagepaw exclaimed as he gazed at Wolfheart in awe. The gray warrior managed a purr. He was worried about his own apprentice, but he knew he couldn't just disregard Sagepaw.

The young warrior nodded his head, "You have to have really strong legs to do it. Keep practicing to keep your balance with your front paws on the ground only. If you can't do it good enough, it could leave room for your enemy to injure you instead," Wolfheart explained to the eager apprentice.

The three cats rehearsed the battle move until the sky started to darken. It was getting late, and Wolfheart was hoping to see Nightpaw padding around camp. He would give her a firm scolding when he saw her. It wasn't the first time she had run off, and Wolfheart wasn't only worried about what other cats might think. He didn't want to risk his apprentice getting wounded or even killed.

When they returned to camp, Wolfheart instantly searched for his apprentice. There was still no sign of her. It was unlike Nightpaw to stay out this long. He would have to go out looking for her. Knowing that he better let Willowstar know, he ambled over to her den.

The light gray leader was sitting outside her den. She looked up when she saw Wolfheart approaching. Her head tilted to the side and she mewed, "Is there something you need?"

"I can't find Nightpaw," He answered, trying to keep his voice calm. He declared, "I want to go out looking for her. I'm afraid she might get hurt." Willowstar's eyes shone with understanding.

"Go and take two other cats with you. Be back by Moonhigh or I will send a few warriors to look for you." Willowstar stated. She flicked her tail dismissively. Wolfheart dipped his head respectfully before padding toward the warriors den. He would take Eagletalon with him.

The young warrior stuck his head in the warrior's den and asked, "Eagletalon, will you come with me to look for Nightpaw?" When he saw his father nod and stand to his paws, he put in, "I'll take-"

"Let me go! I'm just as worried as you are!" It was Sagepaw. He was standing up tall as he looked at the two warriors. Wolfheart hesitated for a moment. He would've preferred to take two experienced warriors with him. Sagepaw was still a young apprentice. He had only begun his training about three moons prier.

"Alright," Wolfheart decided hastily. He wasn't in the mood for arguing with the ginger tom. All he wanted to do was find his own apprentice.

The three cats set off in search of the missing apprentice. Wolfheart managed to catch the scent of Nightpaw. It led to an area not far from the stream that ShadowClan had wanted to make the official border. The gray tom glanced around. It was strange that the scent trail would just end.

Eagletalon spoke up, "Let's go to the ShadowClan border first. It's closest, and it's possible that she may have went that way." Wolfheart nodded in agreement. He trusted his father's judgment. He was a much more experienced warrior than himself.

The three felines crossed the narrow stream and padded in the direction of the ShadowClan border. The scent of the rival clan was strong and fresh. Either a border patrol had just passed, or it was going to be arriving soon. Wolfheart's yellow eyes glared forward.

A group of four cats came into sight. It was Jaggedrock and his apprentice, Leopardpaw. The other two cats were Sundapple and Softpaw. They glanced at the ThunderClan cats from the other side of the border. They seemed both surprised and suspicious at the presence of their opposing clan.

"What is ThunderClan doing, sneaking so close to the border?" Jaggedrock growled lowly. His claws unsheathed as he challenged the cats. His intense glare, traveled to each of the ThunderClan cats.

Before either of the warriors could speak up, Sagepaw spoke. "Nightpaw is missing!" The ginger tom blurted out, seeming to forget this was another clan they were talking to. _Mouse-dung!_ Wolfheart thought. _They shouldn't know what's going on in our clan. Willowstar won't be too happy if she hears about this._

"Oh, can ThunderClan not keep track of their own apprentices now? Seems like they can't control any of them," The brown ShadowClan warrior sneered. His brown eyes were locked on Sagepaw now.

Wolfheart felt his gray fur bristle. He wouldn't let them talk about his apprentice or any other ThunderClan cat like that. His teeth bared in a growl as he glared at Jaggedrock challengingly. Before the young warrior could snap something back, Eagletalon pushed his way in front of him. Wolfheart's father sent him a warning look.

"What happens in our clan doesn't concern you, Jaggedrock," Eagletalon replied calmly. He didn't seem fazed at all by the leaked information or the ShadowClan cat's words. "We will be on our way now."

Jaggedrock opened his mouth to shout out another retort when the tortoiseshell she-cat beside him, flicked her tail over his mouth. "We are sorry to hear what has happened. Good luck," She mewed courteously. Wolfheart appreciated how not all ShadowClan cats were as bad as they were made out to be. There were obviously some decent cats in that clan.

The ThunderClan warrior sent the ShadowClan patrol one last glance before leaving. His gaze lingered longer on Leopardpaw's expression. His eyes seemed dark, and he was looking straight down at his striped legs. He looked like he was bothered by something. _He was Nightpaw's friend. _Wolfheart reminded himself. _They went on the journey to the mountains together._

The rest of the time they had left, they searched the abandoned twoleg den and the WindClan border. They didn't catch any clues that would show where she went. It was already Moonhigh, so the three cats swiftly strode back to the camp. They didn't want to trouble their leader. It was bad enough that one cat was missing.

Wolfheart groaned and settled down in the middle of the clearing. He had picked out a squirrel from the fresh-kill pile. He tore the fur off the small animal absentmindedly. Despite the fact that he hadn't eaten since right before training, he wasn't feeling hungry. Wondering about where his apprentice could be made his appetite leave. For all he knew, she could be fatally injured.

Wolfheart rapidly shook his head. He didn't want to bring himself down with negative thoughts. There was always the chance that his apprentice had just needed a day alone. Maybe she was resting somewhere comfortable. She could have been doing some training of her own.

The gray warrior finally took a bite of his prey. He gave a small purr as he felt the warmth fill his belly. He hungrily gulped down the rest. His pink tongue lapped over his lips as he cleared away the remains. He felt full now. He heaved himself to his paws and glanced at the warriors den.

The other warriors would all be asleep. Well, all except Lionstep, who was on guard. The golden tom had been Wolfheart's mentor when he was an apprentice. The thoughts of his own apprenticeship made him ponder about Nightpaw. He had run off a few times as an apprentice. The first night of being an apprentice, and he left. _Did Lionstep worry about me the same way? _Wolfheart contemplated.

He was tempted to go over to the golden tom himself. Right now, he wasn't feeling tired at all. Maybe a little talk would make him feel better. He was about to pad over when he decided against it. Lionstep was looking alert and determined to keep a good watch. Wolfheart didn't want to distract him. The young warrior settled back down in the clearing.

It was a strangely quiet night. There were no sounds at all except a gentle stirring of leaves that wasn't easily heard. He couldn't hear the chirps of the crickets or the familiar lap of the lake waves to the bank. From his place in the middle of camp, he couldn't hear the soft snores of the other cats.

A loud screech broke the silence, "Please, someone help!"

**The poll for Sagepaw's warrior name is still up! Also, I need loner cats. If you decide to submit a cat, please give me their name, appearance and personality(It would be helpful. If not, that's fine. I'll just make up one for them).**


	16. Strangers

**Tallstar07**- Thank you for reviewing! You're awesome! :) Sorry for the long wait!

**SwiftStar**- I apologize for keeping you waiting, but I do have other things that I have to do. As I said, with school starting up, my updates will be slower. Again, sorry about it being so long. I planned on updating each weekend, but with it being the first two weeks of school, I was busy. Writing is a hobby of mine, but it isn't the only thing I enjoy doing. Thank you for reading the story and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

**This chapter is a bit shorter so sorry! Read and please review. If I get at least three reviews I'll find a way to update before next weekend!**

Many cats poured out of their dens and into the clearing. Their eyes, wide in fear, glanced around. Their pelts stood out in all angles at their sudden awakening. They had no idea who had made the loud screech. All they knew was that it was another cat, and it could be trouble.

A fluffy, gray tom raced out the tunnel that served as the entrance to camp. His bright, yellow eyes gleamed under the moonlight. Just outside, he could see the shapes of three cats. One was sprawled out against the ground. The other two were gathered around her. One of the standing ones, a smoky gray tom, stepped protectively forward at the sight of the unfamiliar cat. The other, a black tom, crouched beside the laying figure.

"I mean no harm," Wolfheart said slowly as he took a step forward. He lowered his head slightly in hope to show them that he wasn't a threat. They seemed to believe him. The smoky gray tom nodded his head before turning back to the cat on the ground. Wolfheart padded over to them, and he gazed down at the cat.

It was a sleek, white she-cat. Her tail, ears, paws and face were all a light gray. Her eyes were only open a bit, but the young warrior could see the light blue color. His gaze traveled over her as he looked for the problem. Her right, front paw twisted awkwardly to the side. It didn't look good. _How did she get hurt_? _I wonder what happened. _

"We were in a pine tree, scanning the area when a group of cats charged at us. They leapt at us, toward the branch we were sitting in. Drift and I were able to run, but Ava stumbled. She fell off, on her paw, and hurt herself. I wasn't able to reach her in time," The gray tom explained seemingly to sense his inquisitive question. His green eyes dulled in shame.

Wolfheart's head shot sideways at the sound of crunching leaves. It was Willowstar. She was making her way toward him and the small group. Her eyes showed no hostility. The gray she-cat sat down when she reached them. Her tail curled neatly around her paws.

Willowstar turned her green gaze to the strangers and mewed, "I see your friend is injured. We will not turn away from cats in need. You may come with us, and our medicine cat will tend to her."

With that, the graceful she-cat stood to her paws and turned away from the four cats. She headed back into camp, her tail disappearing through the tunnel. Wolfheart nodded to the three cats before sinking his teeth gently into the she-cats scruff. He then proceeded to pull her into camp. The smoky gray tom helped carry her as the black one walked by his side, sending the young warrior scornful glares.

Once in camp, Hazelpool came rushing out of her den. Murmurs were spread through the clearing. Despite it being late out, it seemed every cat was awake now. They all stared at the newcomers. The news of their arrival had spread faster than green cough during the freezing cold days of leaf-bare.

"Who are they? We should drive them out! Are they loners? Kittypets? What happened to the one cat's paw?" The questions chimed loudly through ThunderClan camp. The cats' curious eyes were set on the unfamiliar felines.

The ThunderClan leader, Willowstar, Leapt onto the ledge, which hung above the cats. Her green eyes swept through the cats and rested on the newer ones. "Introduce yourselves," She commanded gently. She needed to know who these cats were before deciding what to do exactly.

"I am Cliff," The smoky, gray tom lifted his head. He motioned toward the black tom first and then to the gray and white she-cat. "This is Drift, and she is are loners, who have been traveling in search of a place to live," He finished, sitting down beside Hazelpool. The Medicine cat was examining Ava at the moment.

"I understand. Well, seeing how your friend is hurt, you are welcome here. You may eat and rest without fear. None of my warriors will harm you," With that, Willowstar ambled to her den. The cats were finally calming down. They went back to their dens to resume sleeping.

Wolfheart stayed near the cats in case they needed any help. He was already wide awake and didn't see the point in going back to his nest now. He watched as Hazelpool finished her observation. Her twin hazel pools clearly showed that she was puzzled, but she quickly covered it up.

"Tell me if it hurts," She ordered. The white she-cat pressed a paw gently on Ava's twisted paw. The gray and white she-cat let out a yelp that slowly turned to a pitiful whimper. "Wolfheart, help me bring her to my den. Larkpaw-" Hazelpool turned her head to her apprentice. "Get the herbs I need ready."

Wolfheart grabbed the she-cat by the scruff, gently hoisting her onto his back. When she was secured, the fluffy, gray tom carried her to the medicine cat den. As he neared the entrance, he could see Larkpaw's green eyes shining in the dark den. As softly as he could, he placed the she-cat onto the newly made, moss bed. Wolfheart could see a few soft feathers lining it.

It wasn't long after that the other two cats, Drift and Cliff, entered as well. Cliff, the gray tom's, eyes were welcoming. Drift's amber ones, however, were narrowed and hostile. He bared his teeth at Wolfheart as he looked at him. The gray warrior glared back at him defiantly. He would show no fear to this unfriendly loner.

"How is she? Will she be alright?" Cliff questioned, his voice full of concern for Ava. Hazelpool flicked an ear in acknowledgement, but she didn't answer. The aggressive, black tom stood, his fur bristling.

He growled lowly, "Well, answer us! Speak or do I have to claw the words out of you?" His claws unsheathed. He glowered down at Hazelpool as he stood up tall. His ears flattened against his jet black skull.

"Stay away from her!" Wolfheart snarled as he pushed his way in front of the white she-cat. His usually calm attitude was gone. He had had enough with this tom. They were kind enough to bring them in and help out with Ava's wound. This was no way to repay ThunderClan.

Wolfheart's pelt fluffed out in attempt to make himself bigger. He sized up his opponent quickly. Drift seemed to be around the same age as the gray warrior. The two toms were about the same size as well. Wolfheart was confident he could teach this loner a lesson about messing with a clan cat.

A body slammed into the black tom, throwing him to the ground. Wolfheart jumped, startled at the sudden attack. It was Cliff. He was glaring down at the black tom, his eyes blazing. He then turned his gaze toward the clan cats. He dipped his head apologetically.

"I am sorry for my companion's behavior. He isn't use to being around other cats beside us, "Cliff apologized with a glance toward Drift. The black tom just let out a snort in response. He turned his back on the other cats without a word.

"It's alright. You two should get some rest. I'm sure you have been through a lot. I'll take care of Ava. You don't have to worry at all," Hazelpool assured them gently. With an understanding nod, Cliff left the den. Drift followed after him more sluggishly.

"Larkpaw, you're doing great. Finish up on her leg. I need to have a word with Wolfheart," The white medicine cat uttered before heading to the far back of her den. Wolfheart followed her curiously. _What does she need to talk about and why with me_? He pondered.

The gray warrior glanced around. He had never been to the back of the den before. It was a place only the medicine cats were supposed to go. The scent of herbs was strong in the air. He could see the various colors of them laid out in groups on the stones. It was neat, with no herbs out of place.

Wolfheart directed his attention back to Hazelpool. He asked, "So, what is it you needed?"

The white she-cat nodded her head before replying, "It's about Ava. I-"

"Is something wrong with her? Will she be okay?" Wolfheart interrupted abruptly. Seeing a small flash of irritation in the medicine cats hazel eyes, he clamped his mouth shut. The young warrior ducked his head in embarrassment. Hazelpool swept her tail across the ground.

"As I was saying, I'm puzzled by her wound. She seems to be in much pain, but I'm surprised there aren't any cuts. If she fell from a tree, it's unlikely that she would avoid even getting a little scratch," Hazelpool murmured, half to herself.

Wolfheart thought for a moment. What Hazelpool was saying was true, but there was always a chance she could just twist her paw without any other injuries. He shrugged his broad shoulders. "You're just over thinking it. It doesn't matter. She's hurt and Willowstar wants us to help her. Why did you tell me anyway?" He inquired.

The young warrior couldn't help but express his wonder. It would have made more sense that Hazelpool would tell their leader or even Larkpaw first, but she made no attempt to. He was still an inexperienced warrior, so it didn't seem logical to explain her confusion to him.

"I didn't want to make such a big deal of it, and I trust you not to spread what I just told you," Hazelpool mewed before turning and pacing back to Larkpaw and Ava. Wolfheart pursued after her. He felt pride well up inside him. Hazelpool trusted him over so many other cats!

Ava was lying on the moss and feather den. Her light blue eyes were closed completely now, and by the gentle rhythm of her breathing, she was sleeping. Her front paw was wrapped in layers of cobwebs. The different colors of herbs that smeared around her leg were visible under the cobweb bandage.

Hazelpool purred, giving Larkpaw an affectionate nudge. "Great job. At this rate, you'll be even better than me!" The white she-cat praised her apprentice. The sight made Wolfheart's paws feel heavy. His own apprentice wasn't around. She was nowhere to be seen. Sighing, the warrior left the medicine cat den.

**...Awesome. Page. Break...**

The sun rose high in the sky, sending rays of light into the den. The gray tom stood with a groan. He stretched out his back legs before exiting the den. It was already sunhigh. He had over slept. He doubted any of the other warriors would mind, seeing how he was awake most of the night.

Many cats were settled in the clearing as they shared tongues. When the day was at its warmest, it was a time for relaxing. The patrols had just returned, bringing extra prey with them. The elders laid outside of their den, letting the sun soak into their pelts.

Wolfheart looked over at the apprentice den. He started to amble over to it, only to stop midway. His apprentice wouldn't be in there. With her gone, he had no idea what to do. Usually he would have taken her out for a hunt or maybe even some battle training. With no Nightpaw, he was unsure. He wanted to go out looking again but knew he would be better asking Willowstar first.

The fluffy tom strode toward the Leader's den. Prior to arriving, he spotted the ThunderClan leader, exiting her den. He stopped in his tracks when noticing that she was walking to the highledge. She lifted her head. Then, she let out the familiar call.

The cats gathered below to hear her words. As always, they looked up with interested faces. "Cats of ThunderClan, as you know, Nightpaw has been missing for two days now. The patrols have not even caught any scent of her, so it's safe to believe she isn't in our territory any longer. There is nothing more we can really do, and we will not reveal ThunderClan affairs with the other clans. For now, we will go on as normal. I'm calling off the searches."

Mumbles traveled through the clearing. Wolfheart let out his own murmur of disbelief. One voice, however, stood out above the rest. "We saw this cat you are talking about!" The voice exclaimed loudly. Wolfheart gazed over to see who spoke. It was Cliff. His pale, green eyes shone. "I know where she is going."

**I plan on changing my pen name so don't be surprised if it is different next time I update. Cinderstreak will be having her kits soon, so if you want, you can submit a kit. Give me a description(Keep it realistic) and maybe even a personality. Obviously they won't be seen much yet, but later in the story, they will.**


	17. A Mentor's Determination

**Here's the next chappy! Just like I promised you! :D Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy! If I get at least three reviews, I'll update sooner!**

**Gingersplash of Time- Thanks! I'm glad you like the cover. It took me a while to make all the cats.**

**Tallstar07- Thank you! Happy you like it! Awesome kit by the way! :)**

**SwiftStar- It's fine. I did take longer than I had wanted before. I hope you keep reading and maybe review!**

The fluffy, gray tom instantly launched himself forward. He landed neatly on his paws, only inches away from the other cat. His yellow eyes were wide, and his pelt bristled in a mixture of anticipation and worry. The loner facing him knew where his apprentice had gone. For once in the two days she had been missing, Wolfheart felt some hope.

"Where is she? Which way did she go? How do you know it's her?" The questions poured out of the young warriors mouth rapidly. Usually, he would have waited patiently for his leader to interrogate the loners, but since it had something to do with his missing apprentice, he didn't have the tolerance.

Wolfheart was so caught up in finding out the answers that he didn't notice Willowstar had padded over to them. Her demeanor remained calm, but she sent Wolfheart a stern, warning glance. She opened her mouth and mewed calmly, "I see. What can you tell us about her and where she went?"

"We ran into her when we were heading this way. It wasn't far from here. We told her that we were looking for a place to stay, and she informed us that there were various groups of cats called clans living here. When we asked if she was from one of them, she said yes. The black she-cat told us her name was Nightpaw before she began to walk off again. We saw which way she went," Cliff explained.

Willowstar nodded her light gray head. She hopped back onto the Highledge and announced, "That settles it. I will send out a small patrol in search of her. I will need a bit of time to think everything through," With that, she left for her den once more.

Wolfheart turned and started to follow after her. _I'm going on that patrol_. He thought determinedly. _She is my apprentice, so it's only fair. _"Can I come in?" He inquired carefully as he stood outside the leader's den. At a reply of 'yes', he pushed his way into the den and sat down. His scruffy tail curled over his paws.

The young warrior opened his mouth to speak, but Willowstar cut him off. "I know why you have come. You wish to go on the patrol. I understand why, but I'm not sure it's the best choice to send a warrior who isn't as experienced. You've only been one for about five moons."

"Yes. I understand your reasoning," Wolfheart answered respectfully. "But I did go on that trip to the mountains. I've been outside the clan territories. Not many other cats have. Even if they are senior warriors," He reminded smoothly. He tensed when he saw Willowstar narrow her green eyes.

The gray tom's shoulders dropped with relief at the sound of a chuckle. Willowstar purred, "It seems I won't be able to persuade you not to go. Even if I said no, I wouldn't be surprised if you took matters into your own paws. Wolfheart, I will allow you to go. Don't disappoint me."

The young warrior's eyes immediately brightened. "Thank you Willowstar!" He exclaimed. He twisted around and strolled out of the den. He paused for a moment when Willowstar called to him. He glanced over his shoulder.

"For now, I want you to go on as normal. Maybe go on a hunt or join a border patrol. I must speak with the loners, but seeing as one is injured, they may not want to travel just yet," She stated.

Wolfheart waved his fluffy, gray tail in acknowledgement. The young warrior ambled in the direction of the camp's entrance. He would go for a quick hunt. Not only would it take his mind off of his apprentice for a moment, he didn't want to end up pressuring the loners with questions. He was just too eager to set off at the time and wasn't sure he would be able to hold himself back.

The ThunderClan warrior strode toward the stream. It was the place ShadowClan had tried to make the new border only a moon ago. ThunderClan had beaten their rivals, keeping the stream to themselves. Luckily, they had not scented the other clan since then, and it was looking like they gave up on it.

Wolfheart walked under many trees. The faint sunlight passed through the tree leaves and gleamed down on his gray pelt, warming it. He froze a few fox-lengths from the stream. The scent of squirrel was fresh and lingering in the air. It filled his nostrils, making his mouth water in expectation.

The tom crouched down. He slowly stalked forward, his paws gliding silently amongst the forest floor. He caught a glimpse of brown hair. The squirrel was sitting beside a tree, nibbling on an object it it's tiny paws. It didn't seem to notice the feline's arrival at all. With a satisfied nod, the tom crept closer. His ears laid flat against his skull. This was his chance.

Suddenly, The squirrel's head jolted up and it made a dash for it. It bounded swiftly into the tree, climbing high up. Leaves that were kicked up, danced to the floor in front of Wolfheart. He shook dust from his face, blinking his eyes as he felt a slight sting from the dirt. He felt an agitated growl rising in his throat, but he kept it down.

Unexpectedly, a new scent blew to him. ShadowClan_! What are they doing here?_ He mused. He had hoped he wouldn't see another one of those furballs in a long time. Were they trying to take over ThunderClan territory again? Well, he wouldn't let them. By the scent, it was only one, but he wouldn't let his guard down.

At the sound of a leaf cracking, he raced to the side. His paws pushed furiously off the ground and worked quickly. just ahead of him, he could see the shape of a cat disappearing into the darkness. He wasn't able to tell who it was, but he wouldn't give up without a good chase. They were running in the direction of the abandoned two-leg den now. Judging on where the cat was scurrying toward, it didn't seem like it knew where it was going.

"Stop running, Mouseheart!" He shouted in hope that the ShadowClan cat's pride would take over. His plan worked. The cat stopped in its tracks. Wolfheart could hear it panting heavily from the long distance run. The young warrior was just as tired, but he tried not to show it.

"I'm... no... Mouseheart!" The cat snapped back between pants. He lashed around, revealing two furious, hazel eyes. The cat paced forward. Wolfheart's yellow eyes widened. He knew who this cat was. His jaws gaped open.

He murmured in disbelief, "Leopardpaw? What are you doing here?" His anger was overcome by surprise. What was the ShadowClan apprentice doing in ThunderClan territory, and why was he alone? No sensible leader would send an apprentice by themselves.

"I-I came to see if Nightpaw w-was found," The white, gray spotted apprentice stammered. He glared defensively at Wolfheart. His sharp claws unsheathed and his fur on his back rose. He was baring his teeth now as if challenging Wolfheart to a fight.

Wolfheart blinked his eyes in thought and sighed. There was no point in lying to the apprentice, and it didn't seem like the defiant young tom would leave without an answer. He hesitated, knowing Willowstar had clearly stated not to share ThunderClan affairs with the other clans.

He heaved a sigh of defeat, "Well, we found out where she went, and we will be leaving to go look for her soon. She's out of clan territories, but we do know the direction she went in." The warrior didn't feel the need to tell him about the loners. The other clans, especially ShadowClan, were scornful toward ThunderClan for taking in loners and kittypets. It had been that way for as long as any cat could remember.

"I want to come too!" Leopardpaw demanded. He lifted his head, standing up tall. His hazel eyes flared with determination. Wolfheart narrowed his own eyes suspiciously. He knew the two had been friends, but it still didn't make sense that he would help them out.

Wolfheart inquired simply, "Why?" The question came out more harshly than he had wanted. He gazed at Leopardpaw as he waited for an answer. The younger tom seemed hesitant to reply.

"I think she may have left because of me. During the gathering, the night before she left, I told her we couldn't be friends anymore," His voice trailed off as he looked straight down at his paws. He then added softly, "It's not that I didn't want to, but we're in different clans so we just can't be. I didn't think it would upset her that much. I want to be able to help since... it was my fault."

Wolfheart titled his broad head to the side. Nightpaw did seem to be very confused and distracted the day before she went missing. _Could that really be the reason she left? Was she_ _troubled by what Leopardpaw had said to her?_ Wolfheart didn't think his apprentice would leave for a little reason like that, but it seemed like it was the only explanation right now.

"Fine. However, you better not share any of this news with your clan or there will be trouble," Wolfheart warned. _Trouble for both of us. _He added in bitterly to wouldn't be pleased to know her warrior had told a ShadowClan apprentice about Nightpaw.

Leopardpaw gave a satisfied grin. With a rapid nod to Wolfheart, he made a dash for it. "Tell me before you leave!" He called back. Wolfheart flicked an ear before strolling back to camp.

When he arrived, he had two mice in his jaws. He knew it wasn't much, but with the encounter with Leopardpaw, he didn't have much time left. The gray tom set the fresh-kill in the pile. It was still fairly large with enough prey until next sunrise. With prey so plentiful, the clan was well-fed.

Wolfheart's ear angled toward the medicine cat's den. He could hear the voices of the loners. Hazelpool and Willowstar were also talking. Quickly and soundlessly, the warrior trailed over to the den. He settled down beside it, keeping away from the view of the entrance. His ears pricked forward.

Cliff was speaking, "Yes, we can take you to where she went whenever you like. We-"

"No, You can't! What about Ava? Her injury is still rather new, and it wouldn't be reasonable to just take off after a day or two," The concerned voice belonged to Hazelpool. Wolfheart could picture the white she-cat's eyes wide in incredulity as she protested.

"I'm fine. I may not be able to walk on it well, but it's not bleeding or anything. Anyway, It's feeling much better," Ava attempted to convince the medicine cat. Wolfheart could hear the she-cat rise from her nest. He listened to a few paw-steps of the loner pacing slowly.

Willowstar declared, "Very well. You can set off tomorrow then. I'll be sending Wolfheart with you. I can't afford to let more of my warriors go as the other clans will become suspicious. Do you think you will be able to manage?" Hazelpool sighed loudly at her leader's decision.

"Yes, we will. We are experienced at both hunting and fighting so we will have no problems. As for Wolfheart, he is close to Nightpaw, isn't he?" Cliff questioned gently. When Wolfheart heard no respond, he assumed that she just gave him a nod.

Upon hearing shifting inside the den, Wolfheart stood and scurried off. He didn't want to be caught eavesdropping on his leader. He went to the nursery. He knew he could talk to his sister if he needed to. The gray tom entered the den and sat down. His sister was laying on her side. Her belly was round with soon-to-be-born kits.

The warrior felt a pang of guilt. If he went in search of Nightpaw, he would most likely not be in ThunderClan by the time of his sister's kitting. He glanced down with a frown. He felt torn between the two of them. He was eager to find his apprentice, but he wanted to see the birth of his sister's first kits.

"Hello, Wolfheart. What brings you here?" Cinderstreak's voice snapped him back to reality. He glanced at her, seeing her puzzled expression.

Wolfheart shook his head clear and purred, "It's nothing really. I just thought I'd check up on you."

"You're going to find Nightpaw, right? I heard the apprentices talking about it. I'm sure you would be going to find her. She is your apprentice after all," Cinderstreak sat up and gave him an affectionate nudge. She was always able to read him.

The fluffy, gray tom groaned, "I just don't know what to do. I already know Willowstar is choosing to let me go, but I won't be here to help you during your kitting then."

"Mousebrain," Wolfheart was startled for a moment before seeing the warm look on her face. "I have Bramblethorn, you know. That crazy furball is in here all the time checking up on me! He is always stuffing me with fresh-kill. Half this belly is probably fat!" She purred, puffing out her stomach more for emphasis.

The gray tom let out a mrrow of laughter. He enjoyed the company of his sister. The two had always been close, and they always looked out for one another. He felt more reassured by his sister. Bramblethorn was a good cat, and he knew that he would be a great mate for Cinderstreak.

"Let all cats, old enough to catch their own prey, join beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting! Willowstar's yowl rang through the clearing. Gradually, the cats of ThunderClan gathered around. Wolfheart sat closer to the front with Cinderstreak hobbling over to his side.

It was dark out now. The moon was shining high in the sky, faintly lighting the clearing. The diverse color eyes of the cats gleamed brightly as they stared at their leader expectantly. They all knew it would probably have something to do with Nightpaw, and they were obviously curious to find out what their leader had decided.

Willowstar's green gaze rested on Wolfheart. She uttered, "Wolfheart and the loners will be leaving in search of Nightpaw tomorrow! We wish them the best, and we give our hope that they are able to bring back our apprentice. May StarClan light their path!"

**So, you may or may not have noticed that the chapters are a bit shorter. After chapter 4 ,I started making them all at least 3,000 words long but it really put a strain on me. From now on the chapters will be ranging between 2,000 and 3,000 words long. Usually they'll be about in the middle fo the two. Also, you can still submit a kit for Cinderstreak if you want!**


	18. Captured

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and submitted cats! Let's try to make it four reviews, and I'll update sooner. :)**

**Anyway, on with chapter 17! Hope you enjoy!**

Two cats padded on through the open, grassy area. Their pelts' were dark silhouettes against the bright colored, dawn sky. It's red, orange and yellow colors shone down on the land, warming it slightly. The sun was still rising, peeking into the view of the two felines.

"Do you even know where we are going?" The sleek, black she-cat sighed. The two of them had been walking for StarClan-knows how long, and they didn't seem to be making any progress. In fact, neither of them knew _exactly_ where they were headed.

The ginger tom turned to give her the you-just-asked-a-stupid-question look. His head tilted to the side. He purred in his usually cheerful manner, "Of course I know where we are going! We're going to see my father!" He let out a quiet laugh.

"Mouse-brain, I meant where is he at!? Do you even know?" Nightpaw's irritation caused her pelt to bristle slightly. She had made the decision to go along with him, but this cat wasn't the easiest to deal with.

"In that case, nope!" The ginger and white tom chirped with a small bounce. He glanced over with his green eyes. "But you should really groom your fur! It's as messy as mine was the time I-"

The black she-cat quickly snapped, "I don't want to hear it, so just close your mouth right now." She really preferred for him not to go into another life experience he had. She had already listened through too many of them. Nightpaw waited him to make a remark, but he remained silent. She glanced for at him. He didn't seem affected at all by her being snippy.

Any _normal_ cat would have snapped back or at least shown any signs of being upset. However, Sinnoh wasn't exactly normal. He was looking as happy as ever. His ginger and white pelt was smoothed neatly, and his green eyes were as bright as the sun as he gazed straight ahead.

They continued traveling in silence. The sun was already fully risen in the sky, making it the usual blue color. There were few clouds floating around, letting the sun blaze down. It was a really warm day. Definitely not the best day for long traveling.

"Isn't this great? I'll finally be able to see my father! What do you think he is? Oh, maybe he lives with a group of cats like you do! Or maybe he's some great hero who saved many cats!" Sinnoh grinned at this. With a small leap, he quickened his pace.

"Or maybe he's just a normal kittypet, laying in a two-leg den as he waits to be fed those rabbit pellets," Nightpaw hissed, the heat making her irritable. She wasn't used to being directly under the sun, and it was definitely taking its toll. The lush forest trees covered up the majority of the sunlight.

Sinnoh looked back at her. The same cheery expression was on his face. "Lighten up, _Grumpy_paw!" He teased. A playful shine, glinted in his eyes.

"My name is Nightpaw," The black she-cat corrected matter-of-factly, casting him a glare. She wasn't in the mood for games at the moment. "How about we hunt?" She added in, hoping to get a bit of time away from the talkative tom.

The ginger and white tom nodded eagerly, "Great idea!" With that, he made a dash for it. _He's never going to catch anything with all that racket_. Nightpaw mused as she headed her own way.

After a bit of walking, Nightpaw spotted a rabbit, nibbling on a blade of grass. She crouched down silently, glaring forward. _Finally some, prey_! She thought, her stomach growling quietly. She had barely eaten a small mouse since she left ThunderClan. She bunched her muscles to make a leap, but sudden weight held her down.

She stumbled on her paws, landing awkwardly on her side. Looking behind her, she spotted a large, brown, tabby tom. His massive paw was set on her tail, holding her down. She scrambled to her paws, trying to twist free. His grip was too firm.

"Let me go!" She hissed aiming a clawing at his nose. Despite his large size, the tom easily dodged out of her reach. The small distraction gave Nightpaw some time. She managed to pull free. She turned to race off, but she collided with another cat. It was a muscular, dark gray she-cat.

The black she-cat froze. All around her, powerful-looking cats gathered. Their eyes were narrowed and unfriendly. She felt fear rise inside her. Where was Sinnoh? Had they caught him too, or was he still hunting?

A shape colliding into her side answered her question. It was Sinnoh. The ginger and white tom stood, shaking dirt and blades of grass out of his pelt. The strange cats had caught him too. They glared coldly at the cats in front of them.

Nightpaw could hear Sinnoh growl quietly. Before he could do anything, the brown tom, who had first stopped her, lashed forward, throwing Sinnoh to the side. He skidded on his paws, glaring at the tom.

"Wah-pow! Now that was scary!" He said loudly. Nightpaw held back a groan. Didn't he take anything seriously? Suddenly, his expression changed to one Nightpaw hadn't seen on him before. "But you know what would be more affective? A surprise attack. You got the surprise part, but where was the attack?"

The tom had a sinister smirk plastered on his face. His claws were unsheathed, and his teeth bared, revealing pointed, white teeth. Nightpaw felt her fur rise. She had never seen him like this. The only Sinnoh she knew was the cheerful and very annoying one.

Abruptly, the tom hopped forward. One of his white paws lashed forward, slicing into the air. Pieces slowly drifted to the floor, landing in a messy scatter. He had cut... a leaf? Nightpaw's widened eyes slowly turned to narrowed ones.

"Ha-ha, did you see that? I scared you didn't I? And look how neatly I cut that leaf! It didn't even have time to think!" Sinnoh exclaimed, puffing out his white furred chest proudly. The cats surrounding the two of them all had dumbstruck expressions.

The brown, tabby tom took a large step forward. He bared his pointed teeth in a growl, "Is this some kind of joke? Grab them and bring them back to the alley!" He ordered his cats. Four cats came out of the circle and walked toward them. Two of them flanked them while the other two waked behind and in front of them. They had no room to escape.

It wasn't long before they were ambling through a two-leg place. Nightpaw wondered if it was the same one they had found on their journey to the mountains. All the dens looked the same so she really couldn't tell. Her eyes kept glancing around as if waiting to see the familiar faces of the kitty-pets who had helped them out.

The sleek, black she-cat couldn't help but let her mind trail back to the mountain expedition. She, for once since leaving, wished that Wolfheart or even Leopardpaw was at her side. _No._ She thought bitterly. _Leopardpaw and I aren't friends anymore. He already told me that, so I shouldn't even care. _She reminded herself.

Lost in thought she hadn't noticed they arrived at wherever the cats were taking them. It was dark, and It smelled of crow-food. She spotted a brown object that a cat was laying in. It somewhat resembled a den, with each side closed off except the front of it. A small flap hung down from the top, covering a tiny portion of the entrance.

Observing the area more, she caught a glimpse of a shiny, silver object. It was tall and smooth looking. Pieces of rotting food hung from it and scattered among the dirty floor. The scent caused Nightpaw to gag quietly. She didn't know how these cats could stand even coming here, let alone living.

"You'll stay here until Hawk decides what to do with you two," One of the cats who led them there, a blue-gray she-cat, hissed. She gave them both a menacing glare before turning and walking off.

Nightpaw glanced around. It was dark where they were, cornered against the tall, brownish, red wall. There were no cats close to where they were. It was strange how they were so confident that the two young cats would sit still.

Nightpaw bunched her muscles up as she stared at the red wall. She would escape now. All she needed to do was jump high enough and dig her claws in. It was as easy as that, and she was sure she would be able to do it. Wiggling her haunches, the young she-cat took a leap. She made it about half way up the wall. Her claws unsheathed, grazing the surface, but they wouldn't grip it. She tumbled back to the ground, landing with a thump.

The ThunderClan apprentice continued this process over and over again. Unfortunately, she wasn't having any luck. "Come... On... We'll try to... find a way through the... front," Nightpaw explained between pants. She glanced over at Sinnoh, who was sitting patiently.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Just ahead of us It's probably swarming with those cats. Anyway, I'm starving! I'm waiting for them to bring us our meal!" Sinnoh exclaimed, staying in place.

Nightpaw lashed her tail angrily. She hissed, "Fine then. You stay here, but I'm leaving. When they come back to kill you, It's not my fault." With that, she turned and stalked off through the dark alley. She could see many of those brown dens with cats in them. _Great! They're all asleep! Mouse-brained Sinnoh doesn't know anything._

Quietly, as if stalking prey, she strode forward. Her paws silently worked their way through the alley. She could see faint light at the area where the walls ended._ I made it! Just a bit further, and I'll-. _Her thoughts were caught off as something clashed into her.

She rolled along the ground, yelping in pain. Standing as fast as she could, she saw Hawk. The brown tabby tom who had first stopped her. The fur on her back bristled as she looked at him. She showed her teeth warningly.

The rogue snickered and paced forward, "Oh, did the little kit think she could escape? Don't you ever listen to orders?" A smirk was plastered on his face. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You go back at your own will, or I force you back?"

The black cat hesitated. She didn't want to just do whatever the tom said, but it wasn't likely that she could win against him as much as she hated to admit it. With a tiny nod, she allowed the much larger cat to lead her back to the corner of their 'camp'.

"Oh, Hawk, you found her!" The blue-gray she-cat was standing near Sinnoh. She dipped her head respectfully. "Excuse me for asking, but what are you planning on doing with them?"

Hawk slammed his head against Nightpaw's side, sending her staggering over to Sinnoh. He turned his yellow gaze to the blue-gray cat, "Come with me. We are discussing it right now."

The two cats strolled away from them. Before they left view, Nightpaw heard the she-cat whisper, "What if they are from SkyClan? Those cats have been stealing our prey for as long as I can remember."

_SkyClan?_ Nightpaw contemplated about what the cat had said. She had never heard of another clan before. _Is it like ThunderClan?_ She wondered. Her tail swished back and forth in thought. Exactly how far had they gone from ThunderClan territory?

A loud yelp made Nightpaw jump to her paws. She could feel Sinnoh stiffen beside her. The sound was followed by loud, thumping paws. Yaps filled the air, ringing in her ear loudly. "Dogs! Everyone scatter!" A cat's yowl chimed.

The black she-cat was about to run when two shapes appeared in the darkness. They were larger than any animal she had seen. The two dogs blocked the exit to the alley. Their jaws were parted, revealing their lolling tongues. They let out joyful growls as they pushed their paws off the ground, heading straight for the two felines.

"The only way out is up!" Sinnoh cried, the dogs only mouse-lengths away from them.

**Thanks for reading and please review! Now, time for an advertisment!**

**Are you unsure about a name you made? Not sure if it fits your cat's personality and looks? Then go to _BRAZ'S. WARRIOR. CAT. HELP._ topic on the _Good Warrior Names_ forum. Brazzy is 'da best at rating names! She is also awesome at cat genetics. She creates great names for apprentices, Kittypets or whatever else you need! (If you go, tell her that i reffered you there!):D**


	19. Injured

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I'm really sorry. I've been busy this week with school, and I got loads of home work. D: I hope you enjoy this chapter and review! :)**

Time seemed to slow as the blood pounded in the black she-cat's ears. The dog's gaping jaws were only kitsteps from tearing her and Sinnoh apart. _The only way out is up!_ Sinnoh's cry bobbled in her mind. _Up?_ She thought, her gaze snapping upwards. It was the wall. The wall she had attempted to climb countless times with no avail. _It's hopeless. It's over. We'll be crow food in heartbeats. _

Suddenly, a fiery colored shape zoomed past her. Drips of saliva dropped down onto the she-cats face. One of the dogs had snapped at Sinnoh, but he was too quick. The ginger tom's leg muscles rippled powerfully as he was propelled toward the wall. To Nightpaw's surprise, he didn't hit the brick wall. In fact, he managed to reach the top. His claws dug into the rough surface, and he pulled himself up.

In the black she-cat's distraction, the dog had thrusted his muzzle toward her. His pointed, yellow teeth were lunging straight for her. "You have to jump!" She heard Sinnoh screech as she barely managed to dodge the dog. It wasn't long before the other two joined in.

Their fangs grazed over her pelt as she bounced all over the place. She was slowly growing exhausted. There was no way she could keep up this pace. She crouched and leapt to the sides, evading the blows. Abruptly, they all plunged forward, catching her off guard. She was only able to get out of the way of two. The other one had its jaws locked onto her tail and one of her legs.

"Mrrow!" She shrieked in pain. She could feel blood seeping from her wounds as the canine held on. She turned and twisted. The sounds of the other dog's yelps rang through her head. _Is this the end?_ She shut her eyes closed, ready to give up and let the spirits of her ancestors take her.

_ Fool! Fight back. Go for his nose. _It was that same burst of energy again. She twisted around to where she was able to get a clear look at the large dog's face. It was thrashing its head around, holding her tail still. She swung her claws forward in a powerful blow. They raked across his nose, causing it to yelp and let go of her tail.

Her body seemed to move on its own as she felt her muscles bunch strongly. She pushed her paws off the ground. The dog's snapping teeth were just below her. Her claws outstretched, reaching out to the surface of the wall. She was barely a kitstep away now. Her paws touched the cool surface. Her back legs swung in the air as she tried to sink her claws into any cracks.

She heaved herself up, panting heavily. Blood trickled out of her mouth slowly. Her jet black tail and leg were completely crimson from blood. Her right ear had a small nick in it from where the teeth had scratched her. Her blue eyes were glazed in both pain and exhaustion. Whatever burst of power she had gotten was completely gone now, being replaced with fatigue.

With a shaky breath, the she-cat dropped. Her limp body fell onto the cool, hard surface of the bricks. Her blue eyes were barely open. Everything looked fuzzy. She couldn't even make out any shapes.

"Nightpaw? Nightpaw! Stay with me now. We'll find help!" She couldn't think straight. She couldn't make out what was being said. _Who is that? What...? _She meant to mutter out the words but couldn't. So these were the affects of blood loss. With a shudder everything went black.

**Back in ThunderClan...**

The fluffy, gray tom glanced around cautiously. He was positioned just inside ThunderClan territory. The ShadowClan border was set just in front of him. It was nearly Sunhigh, and he and the loners had left camp only a bit ago.

A voice sneered, "Why do we have to wait here? I thought we were going to look for some cat, or did you change your mind?" Wolfheart whipped around to see Drift. He had an annoyed expression plastered onto his face. His tail was lashing back and forth irritably.

"Of course we are!" Wolfheart snapped. His patience of waiting for Leopardpaw slowly wearing out. "Just wait a bit longer. Someone is coming to meet us." The black tom opened his mouth as if to protest but clamped it shut. He turned and stalked off with loud, angry paw steps.

A figure busted out of a bush that settled beside the border. It was Leopardpaw. His eyes flashed with relief at the sight of the cats. His flanks heaved quickly, and his fur was messy. It looked like he has rushed the whole way out to the border.

He breathed out a sigh, "Oh, good. I thought you might have left. I could barely get away from camp without Jaggedrock trailing after me. We better go. I wouldn't be surprised if he already left camp in search of me."

When Wolfheart nodded, the five cats set off. They traveled quickly through ThunderClan and WindClan territory as they headed for the area that the cats had met on the first journey. They would be starting off at the same place to ensure they knew where they were going.

The rescue party traveled in the direction up hill. It was Sunhigh now. Without the shade of the trees, the sun blazed down on the cats, warming them. "Which way did she go?" Wolfheart asked after they arrived at the top of the hill. Glancing back, he could see the whole lake territory. It looked so small.

"She went that way," Cliff replied simply, pointing his tail toward the mountains. _She went to the mountains? Why would she be heading toward the tribe? _Wolfheart was puzzled. It made absolutely no sense at all. _Unless... _Wolfheart shook his head clear. The leader of the rogues had said something strange, but it didn't matter.

"So we go there then," The ThunderClan warrior stated, turning from his roaming companions and gazing toward the way to the snow topped mountains. _If that's where Nightpaw is, that's where we are going!_

**Meanwhile...**

The black she-cat groaned, cracking open an eye. Her vision steadily bounced as she was being... _carried? _ She blinked both her eyes open, trying to get rid of the blur. Her mind was still fuzzy as she tried to recall what had happened. That was right, she had had an encounter with dogs.

The last thing she could remember was leaping into the air. She had felt such strength then. She felt like she could do anything. Her fear had seemed to dissolve, or maybe it turned and fueled her determination to keep going. Then, there was that voice. It was a voice she heard mostly when she was in trouble. Was it like her inner self? Her conscious perhaps.

A voice brought her back to reality. "Yes, you're awake!" Who was it speaking? Oh, she knew who that was. It was Sinnoh. It was the talkative tom she had only met days ago and was now on a journey with.

Before she could reply, another voice broke in. The rumbling she felt beneath her made her remember she was being carried by another cat. "No, don't try talk yet. You lost much blood, and you need to rest." By the sound of it, it was a she-cat.

Her eyelids drooping, she decided to obey the strange she-cats orders. Normally, she would have quickly pulled away from her, arguing that she was fine. Now, however, wasn't the same. The sleek, black she-cat felt weak and tired. It was as if that sudden power burst took all her energy away.

It wasn't long before the sound of paw steps ceased. Nightpaw's eyes fluttered open again. She was being set down onto the soft surface of grass. She felt the blades brush passed her pelt, and she sunk down. Her pale, blue eyes scanned the newer cat.

It was a pale, gray she-cat. She had a white chest and paws. Her eyes were a dull green. She looked like she would have already joined the elders den if she was with ThunderClan. Her pelt was messy and smelt of grasses and leaves.

"W-who are you," Nightpaw inquired after clearing her dry throat. She meant for it to come out as a strong mew, but it came as more of a whisper. The she-cat ignored her. The elder was wrapping her tail in something now. It looked like something that Hazelpool and Larkpaw might have used.

Nightpaw attempted to question the she-cat again. "I said, who are you?" The question came out stronger this time. Her blue eyes glared fiercely at the she-cat in warning. She elder didn't look worried at all. She let out a rusty purr of laughter.

"Oh, dear. I'm sure you're quite the fighter, but in your state, you'd hardly be able to take on a mouse," The older cat's words made Nightpaw's fur grow warm in embarrassment. She hated not being able to help herself. With a 'humph' she averted her gaze from the elder.

Things went silent, but that didn't last long. Sinnoh seemed like he was back to his usual self. He bounced over to the she-cats and mewed loudly, "You should have seen it, Nightpaw. Well, I bet you saw it. Or did you? Did you see how high I jumped! I could be a bird! Maybe I'm part bird! Do you think so? I do! I..." At this point, she stopped listening.

The black she-cat folded her ears back in attempt to block out the annoying tom's blabbering. Honestly, why did she ever agree to leave with him? Oh, that's right she had a weird feeling. _Maybe it was a weird feeling, telling me to stay away from him_. She thought bitterly to herself.

"It isn't safe to stay around. I told myself I would never go back, but I must. With you being hurt-" She looked at Nightpaw before adding, "I think it's best that we get extra help and better shelter from them."

The ThunderClan apprentice was about to ask what she meant by 'them' before she was hoisted onto the she-cats back. She stifled a gasp of both pain and surprise. She hung limply from the elder's back. Her limbs felt weak.

The black she-cat protested lamely, "H-Hey I can walk!" She knew it was an obvious lie, but she hated being carried. Either the elder didn't hear, or she chose to ignore her _again_. _Mouse-brained old cat!_ She growled mentally. _I bet she couldn't hear a whole group of badgers as they charged at her._

It felt like only a few heartbeats had passed as she was set down again. Nightpaw struggled to move. She managed to push herself up into sitting position, but she felt no strength left to stand. To her surprise, three new cats stood in front of them. _StarClan help us! _She mused. _What's with all these rogues?_

"Grayleaf, why have you come back? As I recall, you were the one who choose to leave," It was a dark gray tom speaking. His blue eyes were narrowed suspiciously at the older cat. Nightpaw's eyes flashed suddenly. _Grayleaf? But that's a clan name!_

The pale, gray she-cat dipped her head and rasped, "Thrushstorm, you know as well as I do that the clan doesn't need me. I would have been retiring in less than a moon. Leafstep is a fine medicine cat now," She gazed over at the other two cats, "Hello Cloudwhisker and Rainpaw."

"Rain_strike_," The blue-gray tom corrected. A scornful look flashed across his face. "You would have known that if you didn't abandon us."

Grayleaf lowered her head for a moment before answering, "What is done, is done. I haven't come back for me. I came back because these young cats need help. They were attacked by dogs and this one is injured." She motioned with her tail to Nightpaw.

The white she-cat, who Nightpaw guessed was Cloudwhisker, stepped forward. Her dark, green eyes were narrowed slightly. "Fine. You two come with me. Grayleaf, you may come as well. Birdstar would never turn down a cat in need, so you are welcome to _SkyClan_ for now."

**I need cats for SkyClan, so if you have any, feel free to post them. Make sure you give me the name, description and maybe a personality(optional). One or two lucky cats will play a bigger part.**


	20. Discovery

**Wow, It's been a while hasn't it? I apologize. After school started, I just got a huge case of writers block. T.T With all the essays and such I didn't feel like writing... Thank you to all who reviewed. I hope You continue to read this story. It really helps to tell me what you think. :3 I hope you enjoy.**

**Here are the allegiances of SkyClan.**

* * *

**Leader:** Birdstar: Light brown she-cat with amber eyes.

_**Deputy:**_Cloudwhisker: White she-cat with dark green eyes.

_**Medicine Cat:**_Leafstep: Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes.

**Medicine cat Apprentice**: Silentpaw- Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

_**Warriors :**_Cherrycloud: Reddish-brown she-cat with white ears, paws and chest.

Riverstorm- Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Rockfang: Black tom with very deep blue eyes.

Lichenflower: Light brown she-cat with bright blue eyes, darker flecks and white paws.

Graymist- Dark gray tom with amber eyes

Rainstrike: Blue-grey tom with darker flecks and a long tail.

Sunfeather- yellow tabby with white paws and belly and green eyes

Breezefrost: Sleek black tom with yellow eyes.

Sparrowleap: Small brown she-cat with a lighter muzzle.

Thrushstorm: Dark grey tom with blue eyes.

Brackenblaze- Golden-brown tabby tom with white paws and blue eyes

Clawleaf- speckled black and brown tom with yellow eyes

_**Apprentices**__ : _Birdpaw: Reddish-brown she-cat with darker stripes.

Blossompaw - a dappled tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes

Robinpaw: Black tom with a brown chest and underbelly.

**Queen:** Heatherpelt: Light brown she-cat with bright blue eyes(Mother to Rockkit, Mistkit and Birdkit)

Willowleaf: Gray and white tabby with blue eyes(Mother to Streamkit and Seedkit)

_**Kits**__ : _Streamkit: Sleek grey she-cat with blue eyes.

Rockkit: Dark brown, almost black, tom with blue eyes and white paws.

Birdkit: Brown she-cat with blue eyes and a lighter muzzle.

Seedkit: Small black tom with bright blue eyes.

Mistkit- Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

_**Elders**__ : _Mudfang: old Dark brown tom with yellow eyes.

Creektail: Light brown tom with a long tail.

* * *

Faint sunlight peaked through the brambles that served as the entrance to the den. A thick herb scent flowed through the den, clinging to the cat's diverse pelts. Two she-cats hung towards the backside of the cave. Their paws worked vigorously on their patient, as they dressed her wounds.

"Hey, _Sleepy_paw, wake up. You've been sleeping all day. Come out and see this place. It's a-m-a-z-i-n-g, amazing!" Roused from her deep sleep, by the annoying toms chattering, she began to open her eyes.

Her pale, icy blue eyes, gazed around the dimly lighted den as she recalled what occurred. She had been traveling with a former kittypet, Sinnoh, to find his father. As the two cats were traveling they were ambushed by rouges and were brought to the 'alley' of a twoleg place. Once there, they were confronted by the rogues leader, Hawk, who was going to hold them as prisoners, believing they were a part of SkyClan. The two cats narrowly escaped as two dogs invaded the alley and began to terrorize the cats. She was wounded badly and was saved when the former medicine cat of SkyClan, Grayleaf, brought her and Sinnoh to the camp for aid.

"Come on, Birdstar is waiting for you," the white she-cat, Cloudwhisker, informed. Her dark green eyes fixed on Nightpaw as she struggled to make it to her paws. Nightpaw limped out of the den with the support of Sinnoh at her side.

As they walked across the clearing, the cats gave hostile glances at the two cats. They padded side by side towards the leaders den. As they struggled up the steep hill sides towards the den, a hiss came from a speckled black and brown tom. His piercing yellow reflected the resentful gazes of the other felines.

"What are outsiders, like you, doing in the clan?" he seethed, " We don't need another two helpless kits to feed!" he growled, bringing his lips back in the beginning of a snarl.

"Don't let Clawleaf get to you. He tends to be a bit ... grouchy," a gray and white tabby she-cat comforted.

"Well that's the understatement of the moon," Sinnoh chirped. The ginger tom gave a good nature bounce.

The gray and white tabby smiled gently. She continued as if she did not hear the comment from Sinnoh, "My name is Willowleaf."

Nightpaw nodded her head slightly. She felt her fur prickle with the strange feeling she was being watched. She scanned around her, her eyes narrowed slightly. She spotted a golden-brown cat with white paws glaring straight at her and Sinnoh. His blue eyes were wide. The black she-cat quickly turned away in confusion. _What was that about?_

The two cats entered the leader's den, followed by the deputy, Cloudwhisker. A light brown she-cat was being informed of the recent events by Grayleaf. As they approached the two she-cats, the brown one gazed intently at the two forest cats with an inquisitive look.

After a few heartbeats of silence, the tabby spoke. "I am Birdstar, proud leader of SkyClan. I shall permit you to stay, until your wounds have fully recovered. For the time being, you will be guests of SkyClan, and share a spare den with Grayleaf."

Nightpaw and Sinnoh dipped their heads gratefully in a show of respect. After being dismissed by the flick of Birdstar's tail, they were guided to the extra den followed by Grayleaf. The sleek, jet black she-cat trotted slightly behind as her blue eyes scanned the camp, which brought back memories of her time in ThunderClan. The camps appeared different, yet the activity seemed the same.

_A sleek, well-muscled, tabby she-cat padded out of her den, her eyes scanning her clan. Two young apprentices bounded through the entrance. Each of them had prey dangling from their jaws, and their eyes shone with pride. A petite kit stumbled out of the nursery on unsteady paws. It tripped over itself, going for a tumble on the ground. It's mother grabbed it by the scruff, hauling it back to its paws._

"Nightpaw... Nightpaw!" the young ThunderClan apprentice was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Grayleaf's voice. "We're here. We made you a nest over there so you can rest; you must still be in pain." She signaled to a spot that contained a large patch of moss lined with feathers.

The sleek, black she-cat blinked her eyes. She stammered, "O-okay. Thanks, Grayleaf." She paced gingerly over to the soft next, curling up into a neat ball. Sinnoh crouched down next to her, laying down as well. Nightpaw's consciousness began to fade as she listened to the gentle snoring of the already sleep ginger tom beside her.

_Rumble... Rumble... What in StarClan's name is that noise?_ The young she-cat hobbled to her paws. A small pain shot through her body, but she easily shook it off. Her pale blue eyes glances over to see Sinnoh standing by the entrance to the den and looking out longingly.

"Wah... Sinnoh, what are you doing?" Nightpaw grumbled sleepily. The ginger tom flicked an ear and looked back at her. Relief flashed in his eyes.

The young, ginger tom shouted dramatically as he fell to his stomach, "Food! I'm dying! I'm starving! You're already starting to look like a plump mouse to me!" He swiftly pushed himself to his paws and approached Nightpaw with a sinister look in his eyes. The black she-cat swatted her white paw at his face.

"Mouse-brained furball!" She growled gently. "Let's go get some fresh kill. I'm pretty hungry myself." Normally, the ginger toms exaggerated actions had annoyed her, but she was in a fairly good mood after her nap. She was feeling much better than she had been when they had arrived at SkyClan.

The two young cats padded out of the den and to the fresh-kill pile that was settled in the middle of the camp. A silence hung thick in the air. All the cats must have been sleeping. A gentle breeze ruffled the felines' pelts. As they reached a small pile of somewhat freshly killed prey, loud screeches cut through the air. Abruptly, dark shapes of cats poured into the camp. Their eyes were lit with a fiery look of battle.

Nightpaw's fur fluffed out in surprise. Her jaws parted as she prepared to let out a warning shriek. "We're being attacked!" the black she-cat screeched loudly. It echoed loudly through the clearing.

The startled clan cats, just awoken by the warning, had no time to think before the newcomers leapt at them, clawing them angrily. Felines all over rolled in furies of fur. Many cats were still in their dens, fighting as they didn't have a chance to get out. Yowls were filling the once quiet night. Paws slammed against the ground, and tails lashed furiously.

_Grayleaf!_ The black she-cat shouted inwardly. A dark shape zoomed past her, entering the den that the elderly medicine cat was staying in. Without much thought, the apprentice dashed off after it. She could hear as Sinnoh ran just a bit behind. Upon nearing the den, they could hear the sound of hissing and claws swiping through the air.

Nightpaw was the first to sprint into the den. She gasped, "Grayleaf! Are you okay!?" The black cat came to a halt, peering around the den. The old gray she-cat was crouched in the corner of the den. Blood trickled down her jaw as she gazed at another cat. It's yellow eyes were narrowed as it brought up a paw, glaring at the former medicine cat.

"It's time to end this..." The dark colored cat snickered. Immediately, Nightpaw recognized who it was. It was Clawleaf. The speckled brown and black tom lashed around when he noticed the two other cats had came into the den. "You!" his lips were brought back in a snarl. The mottled tom charged at Sinnoh, slamming into his side.

The ginger tom fought back, clawing inaccurately at the other tom. He wasn't trained for this, and it wasn't likely that the tom had actually ever fought before in his life. Nightpaw jumped forward, digging her claws in Clawleaf's back. Her jaws bit down into his scruff. The ginger tom lunged forward, sinking his teeth into the other tom's shoulder. Together, the two cats managed to pin down the warrior.

"Get off of me you furballs!" The mottled tom spat, thrashing around wildly. His tail lashed, sweeping dust into the air.

Sinnoh growled, keeping a paw planted firmly on the cat, "Say it. Don't spray it!" A good humored twinkle was in his eyes again as he sent a glance toward Nightpaw. He really never worried about anything did he?

The black she-cat turned her gaze to Grayleaf. "Why in StarClan's name is he attacking you?" she asked in both surprise and curiosity. It made no sense why he would attack her. She was a former clan mate, right?

The elderly she-cat had a distant look in her eyes. She murmured lowly, "Because I saw him... I saw him kill Firenose, our former deputy. He-he threatened to murder my kits if I stayed. I couldn't put them in danger. Could I?" When she saw Nightpaw's eyes widen, she continued, "I may be a medicine cat, but that doesn't mean I can't love. My duty meant everything to me, but I can't regret my kits. They live in twoleg place now where their father lived. Clawleaf was the only cat who knew about them... He saw me after they were born..."

"Foolish medicine cat!" Clawleaf growled, swinging his paws in the air and pushing the two younger cats off of him. He hopped to his paws, whipping around. His claws unsheathed as he swung them toward the Sinnoh and Nightpaw.

Suddenly, a golden-brown tabby colored cat slid in front of them. His teeth pulled back in a snarl. "Stop!" he growled. "You can't hurt them. They're my kits!" With that, he slammed his head into Clawleaf's side, easily over-powering the young, smaller warrior. He pinned him down on his back.

"Brackenblaze!" Clawleaf exclaimed, his wide eyes slowly turning to narrow ones. "Your kits? The reasons you always ignored me and my training? If it wasn't for your lack in mentoring skills, I would have been made deputy when Firenose was gone! All you ever did was visit that mouse brained she-cat!"

Nightpaw's mind whirled. She stammered, "N-no. My p-parents are Bluefrost a-and Foxtooth of ThunderClan!" The black she-cat took a step back, stumbling over her own paws. Her pelt stood on end. Sinnoh, however, was jovial.

"I knew I would find you!" the ginger tom chirped, his eyes shining. Seemingly to realize something, he turned to Nightpaw. "But that means... My sister?" His eyes widened. "I knew there was a reason you wanted to travel with me!"

The black she-cat blinked in confusion for a moment. That was right. She had had a strange feeling about Sinnoh. Could this have been the reason. _No._ She mused, shaking her head. _I'm a ThunderClan cat! I'm full ThunderClan!_

"Cats of SkyClan, gather around!" A yowl broke Nightpaw out of her thoughts. Brackenblaze glanced at Sinnoh and her before padding out of the den, dragging Clawleaf by the scruff.

Feeling dazed, Nightpaw stumbled after Sinnoh who had already left. Grayleaf followed close behind. Cats were licking their wounds in the clearing. Fur and blood were scattered over the ground, where a few bodies laid. It seemed like the battle was over. SkyClan had won, but they hadn't without any casualties.

The sleek she-cat glanced up at Birdstar blankly. The light brown tabby was standing up on a ledge. She had a long scratch running across her side, but she tried not to let it bother her. Her amber eyes swept through the cats. "We have suffered a few loses today for who we will mourn. Mudfang, Robinpaw and Leafstep were murdered." Birdstar's eyes looked troubled.

A loud wail rose through the clearing, "Robinpaw! My kit!"

Another cry sounded loudly, "What will we do? We can't survive without a medicine cat! Silentpaw has barely begun her training a moon ago! There isn't a chance that she could know everything!"

"Then I would gladly help out..." Grayleaf stepped forward. Her dull green eyes settled on Birdstar. "I should have never left-" Her eyes flashed. "But I am here now."

"Very well," the SkyClan leader answered, "It must be StarClan's will."

Brackenblaze walked forward, his jaws still tightly around Clawleaf's scruff. The tom thrashed with no hope as the older tom padded forward. "Birdstar. Clawleaf attempted to kill both Sinnoh and Nightpaw as well as Grayleaf during the battle. I believe he had something to do with it."

Birdstar looked thoughtful for a moment. She turned to Clawleaf, who Brackenblaze had just let go of. She inquired, "Is that true?"

The brown and black tom snorted. He glared around the camp. "Yes. You're all a bunch of mouse hearted kittypets! You are all too soft. I could make this clan strong. _I_ should have been deputy when Firenose-" He paused for a moment, a smirk playing at his muzzle, "died."

With that, he turned around, fleeing in a flash of black. No cat bothered to run after him. If he was to be seen on clan territory he would be killed. Anyway, treating injury was the priority right now. Grayleaf along with Silentpaw were plastering herbs on wounds and dressing them in cobwebs.

Brackenblaze strode over to where Nightpaw was sitting, unmoving. Sinnoh was trembling in anticipation beside her. The golden-brown tom looked at them, "I- I can't believe she was telling the truth.. Your mother. She told me you two would be coming..."

"You aren't my father!" the ThunderClan apprentice spat. Her black fur bristled. Her tail lashed as she turned to dash off. The golden-brown tom jumped in front of her, blocking her way.

"No, please, let me tell you the story."

* * *

**Surprise, Surprise! I tried hinting to the fact that they were of SkyClan blood in the last chapters if you caught that. You know, being able to jump high...? XD Yes, Nightpaw and Sinnoh are siblings. **

**T****he next few chapters(about two probably) are going to be flashbacks. I think it's a fairly good idea, so we get a bit of background(My brother's idea) on Nightpaw, such as what was her mother doing out in the forest? If you remember my prologue... ;) Thanks to the people who gave me cats. If I didn't actually show one of your cats, I still will try at some point. I hope I didn't make Clawleaf too evil. XP **

**Also, 2,000 words was really a strain for me after not writing for this story for a while. I have a question, should I try to update sooner with only 1,000 words or keep trying for 2,000, but it may take a bit longer? I have my brother helping me out with the story now, so I should be updating more regulairly either way. **


	21. Secrets of the Past-Part 1

**Surprised? I know I am. X3 I never expected to actually be able to write this chapter sooner than I planned on. Thank you to all who have reviewed! It really motivated me. Also, thanks to all who have followed and favorited this story! :3 I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's the start of the flash backs, which will probably be only a chapter or two more depending on how it goes. Please leave a review! I plan on uploading the next chapter on Saturday or maybe Sunday, but that could change. **

* * *

**Here are the former allegiances: **

**Leader:** Birdstar: Light brown she-cat with amber eyes.

_**Deputy:**__Firenose- A dark ginger tom with green eyes._

**Medicine Cat:** Grayleaf- gray she-cat with dull green eyes

**Medicine cat apprentice:** Leafpaw- Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes.

**Warriors:**

Creektail- Light brown tom with a long tail and green eyes

Thrushstorm- Dark gray tom with blue eyes

Riverstorm- Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Rockfang- Black tom with deep blue eyes

Cloudwhisker: White she-cat with dark green eyes.

Brackenblaze- Golden-brown, tabby, tom with white paws and blue eyes

Graymist- Dark gray tom with amber eyes

Sparrowleap- Small brown she-cat with yellow eyes

Willowleaf- Gray and white tabby with blue eyes

Featherdawn - long-furred light brown tabby she-cat

**Apprentices:**

Clawpaw- A speckled brown and black tom with yellow eyes

Brookpaw - blue-gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Breezepaw- Sleek black tom with yellow eyes

Sunpaw- Yellow tabby with white paws and belly and green eyes

**Queens:**

Cherrycloud- Reddish-brown she-cat with white ears, paws and chest.(mother to Blossomkit, Birdkit and Robinkit)

Morningbird- Golden she-cat with green eyes(mother to Sunpaw and Brookpaw)

Blackflower-Black and brown she-cat with yellow eyes(mother to Clawpaw and Breezepaw)

**Kits:**

Birdkit: Reddish-brown she-cat with darker stripes.

Blossomkit - a dappled tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes

Robinkit: Black tom with a brown chest and underbelly.

**Elders:**

Mudfang: Dark brown tom with yellow eyes.

Redcloud- An elderly ginger she-cat with green eyes.

**Cats Outside the Clan:**

Kyra- Bright ginger she-cat with white paws and green eyes. Kittypet

Mia- A pure white she-cat with bright amber eyes. Kittypet

Angelic- dark ginger she-cat with barely visible darker stripes and green eyes. Kittypet(mother to Kyra)

Kale- A gray tom with darker tabby stripes, lighter colored belly, paws, chest and muzzle. and bright yellow eyes. Kittypet

Kirby- A large, elderly, brown tom with darker face and paws and yellow eyes. Kittypet(former loner)

* * *

A sleek, bright ginger she-cat stood, stretching out her white paws. She arched her back, flexing her claws in the process. Her bright green eyes scanned the area as she stood upright. Sun shone in, barely lighting the den that she lived in, and warmed her fur. With a quiet yawn, the young she-cat hopped out of her bed and padded away. Her soft paws barely made any sound on the cool, hard surface of tile that served as the floor.

She ambled over to the door her twolegs used to exit and enter the den. Closer toward the floor, was a small flap, just big enough for her to slide in and out. The ginger she-cat pushed her way through, gracefully sliding into the open. The sun wasn't yet fully in the sky, and the sky was still somewhat dark. The she-cat blinked her green eyes. It was time.

She swiftly strode through the grass, the small blades brushing against her neatly cleaned fur. Pausing for a moment at the fence, she wiggled her haunches. Her eyes stared intently at the tall fence, but it didn't take much time for her to jump. She had done it time after time. It wasn't something foreign to her now. In a elegant bound, the she-cat's paws launched off the ground, sending her onto the flat service of the red wall.

The ginger cat's fur tingled in anticipation. Although she went through the same routine every day, it never ceased to make her eager. A purr rose in her throat. Her sleek tail lashed excitedly as she headed off on the wall. So use to this normal walk, it didn't take much to any focus for her at all to travel on the fairly thin wall.

"Kyra, are you going to see_ them_ again?" the ginger she-cat rose, turning her head around to see a pure white she-cat. The she-cats fur was as neatly groomed as her own. Her amber eyes shone brightly under the rising sun.

The ginger she-cat, Kyra, sat down, facing the white one. She purred, "You know I am. I do every day. Why don't you come with me, Mia?" she inquired to her friend with a friendly smile.

The pure white she-cat looked disgusted. Her eyes widened in what seemed like surprise. Mia gasped dramatically, "Go with you? To see those mange-flea pelts? I don't think so." The white she-cat sighed and added, "Honestly, I don't know why you're so fascinated in them. They eat rotting food, and their pelts are full of ticks!"

Kyra shrugged indifferently. She had asked Mia countless times to go with her, but each time, she disagreed. None of the other housecats ever would go with her. They all said the same thing, telling her how horrible _they _were. They always said how they were nothing but dirty flea-carriers. "Suit yourself," the ginger she-cat answered plainly as she turned away.

"Make sure you be careful! You're lucky they haven't caught you yet! I heard they eat housecats and sharpen their claws on bones!" Mia yowled after Kyra as she sprinted away. The ginger she-cat didn't bother look back.

"Always am! I'll see you soon, Mia!" she called back, her paws working impatiently at the ground as she ran. Her fur bristled as she neared her usual place. It was this place she would always be able to observe them. It was a large tree with many branches. Leaves hung over, covering much of the brown.

The sleek, ginger she-cat threw herself at the tree. Her claws dug into the bark as she climbed up it. They would be coming soon, and she had to be hidden. Although they interested her, she was unsure of if the rumors were true. She crouched down on a high up branch. A small spot where the leaves were parted was where she would always go. It gave her a good view of below, but from the ground, she was basically invisible.

...

"Brackenblaze, wake up you lot!" a golden-brown tom groaned, rolling over in his moss nest. Suddenly, a large paw was brought toward him, swatting against his head. The young tom yelped, spring to his paws and shaking his pelt. A few pieces of moss flew into the air at the movement and scattered amongst the ground.

Brackenblaze flicked a chunk of moss off one of his claws, his white paws working to push the close by pieces back together. He growled softly, "Hey, what was that for, Thrushstorm?" he huffed, smoothing out his ruffled pelt. His blue eyes glared up at the larger, muscular gray tom who had woke him up.

"You're a warrior now. I shouldn't have to be waking you up. You're on patrol today, remember? Graymist and Rockfang are waiting for us. You know they hate waiting. Besides, what are you, too good for your old mentor now?" Thrushstorm purred good-naturedly.

Brackenblaze gave his former mentor a playful swat to the ear. He snorted, "I'm going! I'm going! If I have to listen to another one of Rockfang's lectures of being on time again, I think my ears will drop off." The gray tom chuckled and followed after the younger one as they left the den.

The golden-brown tom walked toward Graymist and Rockfang, a black tom. Brackenblaze's blue eyes shone happily. _My first border patrol as a warrior!_ He mused._ I wonder if it's going to feel any different. How exciting! _The young tom had become a warrior only two sunrises ago. He had been on a hunting patrol the day prior, and today was the day he was going to patrol the borders.

"What in StarClan's name took you so long!" Rockfang growled. "I'll be countless moons old before we finish this patrol if we travel as slowly as you!" Graymist nodded his head. His amber eyes were narrowed slits as he looked at Brackenblaze.

"Yes. This is why Birdstar shouldn't be putting these younger cats in patrols with us. They can never get their priorities straight," Graymist sniffed, flicking his tail to the sides.

Brackenblaze heard Thrushstorm laugh gently beside him. He gave the golden-brown tom a shove. "Don't let them get to you. You know how they are," louder, he added, "Come on. Let's get going. With those strange scents we've been smelling of rogues, we better check out everything."

_ The rogues, huh?_ Brackenblaze thought._ I wonder if we will run into them. I've heard some of the more senior warriors talking about them stealing out prey._ Shaking his head in attempt to clear his mind, the golden-brown tom scrambled after the already moving patrol. _I would show them to not mess with them if I saw them. Kittypets, rogues or loners, I don't care. You come on my territory and you're crow-food! _

...

The young ginger she-cat's ears perked at the sound of pawsteps. _They're coming! _She nearly shouted, but she managed to keep it down. Her fur rose as she glared intently at the ground. In no more than a few heartbeats, four shapes came into her sight. Their pelts weren't nearly as neatly groomed as her, and many of them had at least a few scratches or scars covering their pelts. They were much more powerful looking than any housecat, their shoulders muscular and broad. Even the youngest, smaller one look strong beneath his lean build.

"With those rogues crawling around, we should scout everything. I suggest splitting up, if that isn't too much trouble?" A powerful looking, black tom inquired with a spiteful tint to his voice. His deep blue eyes were looking at a golden-brown tom.

The younger tom answered quickly with a snort, "Of course it isn't. I'm a warrior. I don't need protection you know." With that, the four cats split up. They each went different directions, the golden-brown tom trailing close to Kyra's hiding place.

The ginger she-cat dug her claws into the soft bark as the cat neared. It wasn't that she was scared. She was interested in what the cats were doing. She had seen all these cats before. Not always these ones, but each day, she noticed, a group of cats would travel through this area, leaving their scents. It seemed so strange. Kyra had yet to find out the exact purpose of it.

She was curious when she saw that the cats had divided and went fairly far from each other. Normally, they stuck close together. The ginger she-cat gazed down at the golden tom, who was snooping around the tree she was in. The she-cat inched forward on her branch for a better look. She never got to see the cats up close. Abruptly, a loud crack rang in her ear. Her green eyes went wide as the moon, and her fur rose twice her size.

"Aaahhh!" The ginger she-cat yowled as the branch fell from beneath her paws. Leaves and other branches slapped roughly against her as she plummeted toward the ground. She attempted to grab another branch with no luck. She would grip it only for a heartbeat before her claws slipped away. She closed her green eyes tight.

_ No. I have to do something! _She managed to flip herself around in the air. Her flexible spine twisted to where her paws faced the ground. Still, she knew she wouldn't be able to survive the fall. Her claws unsheathed as she curved them. She swiped them toward the branches, still not fully gripping anything, but it definitely made her slow. She held back a whimper as the hard bark pelted against her flank, but she continued what she was doing.

As she neared the ground, she had slowed enough to the point where she would be able to make it through. Her paws parallel to the ground, she readied herself for impact. Her paws landed against the ground, pain shooting through her limbs. She let out a gasp of pain, stumbling over and falling onto the grass.

"What... Are you Okay?" Her ears twitched slightly as pawsteps neared her, crunching leaves and twigs. Kyra cracked an eye open, fear pulsing through her at the sight of the wild cat.

The ginger she-cat let out a fearful shriek, managing to stagger to her paws. She backed away, trying to ignore the pain that was still fresh. "D-don't eat me!" she wailed, remembering all the stories her mother and the neighboring housecats had told her. The golden-brown cat was about her age, but from what she had heard, it didn't matter. He was a trained killer.

The golden-brown tom tilted his head, "Eat you?" He laughed out the question. "That's so Mousebrained! I don't eat cats. That would just be strange. I would much prefer a juicy, plump mouse!"

"B-but they all say that you wild cats eat cats outside your groups and that you sharpen your claws on bones?" the ginger cat stammer, reciting what Mia had told her only a bit ago. She was now curious.

"Well, we don't," He answered, then suddenly seeming to notice something he growled softly, "Hey, you're a kittypet aren't you? I can tell by your collar. What are you doing in SkyClan territory? Are you stealing prey?"

"SkyClan? Kittypet? Prey stealing?" Kyra murmured, mind whirling, both dazed from the fall and confused by all the new terms. The golden-brown tom groaned and rolled his eyes as if talking to a new-born kit who understood nothing.

"A kittypet is what you are. We've been having cats like you, outside our clan, stealing our food. SkyClan is where I live. It's a group of cats that you call wild cats. We each have ranks that we can move up as we age. It goes from kit to apprentice to warrior and maybe even to queen, deputy or leader. The last thing you become is an elder. Each of us have two part names. I'm a warrior now! My names Brackenblaze," the tom purred as he proudly puffed out his white chest.

Kyra blinked as she took in everything she had her. It was strange. The tom seemed so nice, not anything from the normal descriptions she had gotten. "I-Will you tell me more about your clan? Please? I come here every day to watch you all... It's weird, but all the other house-kittypets- say these horrible things about your 'clan'. I don't understand why."

Brackenblaze looked startled. He questioned, "You want to know about the clan? You're odd, you know that. Most kittypets would have run off by now." He gave her an inquiring look. "Okay. Well-"

The golden-brown tom was cut off by the sound of crunching vegetation. he quickly gave her a push, causing pain to course through her sore body. "You have to go," he hissed. "The rest of my patrol-more cats- are coming. They won't take nicely to having you on our territory. Go. Now!"

With a silent squeak, the ginger she-cat turned and fled, trying to forget the awful pain. She heard the tom add in quietly, "If you return tomorrow, I'll tell you about clan life!"

* * *

**Wow, I actually made it to about 2,000 words(a bit over I believe), which is good. I think writing in new character point of views is helping me bring myself back into writing. :)**

**If you didn't already figure it out, Kyra is the ginger she-cat we see at the start of the story in the prologue.**


End file.
